Manuel Antônio de Almeida was born on November 17, 1831, and passed away on November 28, 1861. He was a Brazilian writer, physician, and teacher. He is best known for his book Memoirs of a Police Sergeant, which he wrote using the name "Um Brasileiro" (which means "A Brazilian" in English). He is honored as the patron of the 28th chair in the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

Biography

Almeida was born in Rio de Janeiro to Lieutenant Antônio de Almeida and Josefina Maria de Almeida. Little is known about his early education, although he began studying medicine in 1849 and completed his degree in 1855. Because of financial problems, he chose to focus on writing and journalism. His most famous work, Memoirs of a Police Sergeant (or Memórias de um Sargento de Milícias in Portuguese), was first published in serial form between 1852 and 1853 in the journal Correio Mercantil.

In 1858, he became the administrator of Tipografia Nacional, where he met Machado de Assis. He attempted to pursue a political career and traveled to the city of Campos dos Goytacazes by ship, the Hermes, to begin his work. However, the ship sank near the coast of Macaé, and Almeida died in the disaster.