Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who pioneered the sea route from Europe to India.

Chronology: 1469 – 1524-12-24

Origins & Early Life

Vasco da Gama ( VAS-koo də GA(H)M-ə, European Portuguese: [ˈvaʃku ðɐ ˈɣɐmɐ]; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524) was a Portuguese mariner, explorer and nobleman. His discovery of the first maritime route between Europe and India—around the Cape of Good Hope, then across the Indian Ocean from Malindi in Kenya to Kozhikode—opened up European exploration of, and commerce with, India, and is considered a landmark event in world history. Da Gama's first voyage (1497–1499) was the first to link Europe and Asia using an ocean route that rounded the southern tip of Africa, although he was not the first Portuguese mariner to round the Cape.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

This route allowed the Portuguese to avoid sailing across the disputed Mediterranean Sea and to trade with Eastern Arab Mediterranean ports that embarked goods from land routes across the dangerous Arabian Peninsula. A milestone in Portuguese maritime exploration, his voyage marked the beginning of a sea-based phase of international eastern trade and an age of global imperialism. His outward and return voyages constituted the longest known ocean voyages ever completed at the time. The Portuguese later established a long-lasting colonial empire along the route from...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Source: Wikipedia