Vasco da Gama's Voyage to India
1497 · Early Modern
Vasco da Gama's historic voyage from 1497-1499 was the first to establish a direct sea route from Europe to India. Sailing from Lisbon around the Cape of Good Hope, the expedition reached Calicut on May 20, 1498, opening a new era of maritime trade and European exploration in Asia.
Key Figures
Vasco da GamaPaulo da GamaNicolau CoelhoKing Manuel IZamorin of Calicut
Locations
LisbonCalicut (Kozhikode)Cape of Good Hope
Topics
PortugueseIndiaexploration
Connected Events — 2 Connections
Established Lisbon as the center of Portugal's vast maritime empire, creating the wealth and strategic importance that made the city's catastrophic destruction in 1755 such a devastating blow to European commerce and Portuguese power Great Lisbon Earthquake
Portuguese later navigated the same East African ports Zheng He visited, encountering established trade networks Zheng He's Fleet Reaches East Africa
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