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Vasco da Gama

Type Figure Region Europe Time 1469–1524 Also known as Vasco da Gama、瓦斯科·达伽马

Vasco da Gama (1469–1524) was a Portuguese navigator who first opened a sea route from Europe to India via the Cape of Good Hope.…

Timeline

  1. 1469–1495Sines · PortugalBorn in the southern Portuguese coastal city of Sines, into a seafaring family. In his youth he gained experience at sea, becoming familiar with Atlantic and African coastal navigation, laying the foundation for his later mission to India.
  2. 1497–1499Calicut · Malabar CoastSent by Manuel I, he led four ships around the Cape of Good Hope across the Indian Ocean to Calicut on India's Malabar Coast. This voyage first established direct sea contact between Europe and India, marking the beginning of the Portuguese eastern trade system.
  3. 1502–1524Goa · GoaIn 1502 he again led a fleet to India, consolidating Portuguese trade and military presence in the Indian Ocean by force. In 1524 he made a third voyage and was appointed Governor of India, attempting to reform the eastern colonial system, but soon died of illness at Cochin.

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