Rio De Janeiro Celebrates 450th Anniversary

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JANUARY 13: Visitors gather inside the historic Royal Portuguese Reading Room January 13, 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The reading room, constructed between 1880 and 1887, holds the most valuable and extensive collection of Portuguese literature outside of Portugal. Rio marks its 450th anniversary on March 1 and is celebrating the event with a yearlong series of events including concerts, exhibitions, historical tours, soccer matches, fireworks displays and other activities. The 'Marvelous City' was founded in 1565 by the Portuguese and was the seat of power of the Portuguese Empire in the 19th century before serving as the capital of the Brazilian Republic until 1960. The city is Brazil's most popular tourist destination and will host the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the first to be held in South America, next year. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)