The Reformation begins

Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama departed Lisbon on July 8, 1497, with four ships, sailing south along the African coast before veering into the southern Atlantic to avoid unfavorable currents. After rounding the Cape of Good Hope in November and stopping at ports along the East African coast, his fleet crossed the Indian Ocean with the aid of a Gujarati pilot and reached Calicut on May 20, 1498. The voyage established a direct sea route from Europe to India, opening Portuguese maritime trade with Asia.