In April 1498, they became the first Europeans to visit the port of Mombasa in Kenya, which lay in their route to India. Da Gama and his crew also overcame the challenge of sailing through waters which were previously unknown to Europeans. At that time this was the longest journey ever made out of sight of land.

#4 He was the first known European to visit MombasaĪ part of the route required Da Gama’s fleet to sail more than 10,000 kilometres of open sea. A depiction of Vasco da Gama leaving the port of Lisbon in Portugal The expedition which consisted of four ships and a crew of around 170 men set sail from city of Lisbon on 8 July 1497. King Manuel I of Portugal chose Vasco da Gama to lead a fleet in search of an ocean route to India. In 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to reach the Indian Ocean through the Atlantic, hence proving they were connected and sparking interest in establishing a maritime route to the East.

#3 He led the Portuguese expedition to India It led to an era of European imperialism in the East making European countries world leaders and it also marked the advent of global multiculturalism. It enhanced the European economy through trade with the east, which was previously dominated by Muslims due to their geographical position. #2 His discovery is considered a milestone in world historyĭa Gama’s trip to India which established a maritime route from Europe to Asia had far reaching consequences. The route followed in Vasco da Gama’s first voyage (1497–1499) Vasco da Gama realized that quest to become the first European to link Europe and Asia by a maritime route. One of the principal aims of the explorers of the period was to find an ocean route between Western Europe and Asia.

The Age of Discovery was a period of global exploration that started in the early 15th century and was primarily initiated by Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal. #1 Vasco da Gama linked Europe and Asia through an ocean route for the first time

Who was vasco da gama