Avelino de Almeida

Journalist and newspaper editor

Avelino de Almeida was the editor-in-chief of the secular, anti-clerical Portuguese newspaper O Século who initially mocked the Fatima apparitions but became a key eyewitness to the Miracle of the Sun on October 13, 1917.

Eyewitness Account: Despite his skepticism, Almeida documented the event in a front-page article published on October 15, 1917, describing the sun as a "dull silver disc" that rotated, emitted multicolored lights, and appeared to plunge toward the earth before resuming its normal trajectory.

Physical Phenomena: He reported that the rain-soaked ground and clothing of the estimated 30,000 to 100,000 attendees dried instantly after the solar display, and that witnesses gazed directly at the sun without suffering eye damage.

Impact: His detailed, secular testimony from an adversarial press outlet significantly bolstered the credibility of the event, with some accounts noting his subsequent conversion to Catholicism.