Starting on July 8 with four vessels, he headed south on his mission to find a sea route to India and the East. Here’s a little about this first voyage of his. He sailed from Lisbon in July 1497 and arrived in Calicut, India the following year. After the death of his father, Vasco da Gama took charge of the sailing expedition. Vasco da Gama was known for his firmness and fortitude. Eventually, the king had to choose Vasco da Gama for the voyage to India. Unfortunately, he died even before the project details were finalized. He failed in accomplishing the mission after which Estevao da Gama was selected. It so happened that Bartholomew Diaz, a Nobleman of the Royal Household and a Portuguese explorer was chosen for the expedition to search for a sea route to India. There is an interesting story behind how Vasco da Gama was chosen on the mission of seeking a sea route to India. The plans were ongoing since Vasco da Gama was aged ten. Their plan was to reach India via a sea route. Vasco da Gama effectively accomplished this feat.įrom the early years of the fifteenth century, the nautical school of Henry the Navigator was exploring the African coastline. In 1492, King John II of Portugal sent Vasco da Gama to the port of Setubal to capture the French ships engaged in peacetime predations against the Portuguese. Perhaps, he learned astronomy under the guidance of the astronomer Abraham Zacuto. In Evora, he studied navigation and astronomy. He was brought up in a maritime environment and trained in fishing, sailing, and swimming during his childhood.Īt the age of fifteen he was a sailor.
Vasco da Gama’s mother came from an English family.ĭuring his childhood, Vasco da Gama was educated as a nobleman and he served in the court of King Joao II. His father’s family was closely associated with the military Order of Avis and later with the Order of St. He was the son of Estevao da Gama and Isabel Sodre. He was born on the southwest of Portugal, possibly in a house near the church of Nossa Senhora das Salas. The exact year of his birth is not known. In 1498, by reaching India, Vasco da Gama proved that access to the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic was possible. They were the first ships to leave the Mediterranean to reach the Atlantic. The exploration began in Portugal with the creation of the carrack and the caravel shipping designs.
They used different types of sailing ships in their search of a trade route to Asia. During this period, the Europeans explored the oceans to seek options in trade. The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration was a period between the early 15th century and the early years of the 17th century. For almost four months they sailed across the Atlantic without sight of land until, on *4 November 1497, they reached a bay (current day St Helena).Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and one of the most notable figures in the European Age of Discovery. Vasco’s brother, Paulo, captained the Sao Raphael. What did Vasco da Gama discover? When did Vasco da Gama reach St Helena? Over the course of two voyages, beginning in 14, da Gama landed and traded in locales along the coast of southern Africa before reaching India on May 20, 1498. Vasco da Gama was best known for being the first to sail from Europe to India by rounding Africa ’s Cape of Good Hope. When did Vasco da Gama sail from Europe to India? Da Gama sailed from Lisbon that July with four vessels, traveling south along the coast of Africa before veering far off into the southern Atlantic in order to avoid unfavorable currents. Why did Vasco da Gama go around Africa and reaches India?Īt the time, the Muslims held a monopoly of trade with India and other Eastern nations, thanks to their geographical position. In 1502, he led a squadron of ships to Calicut to avenge the massacre of Portuguese explorers there and succeeded in subduing the inhabitants. Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama becomes the first European to reach India via the Atlantic Ocean when he arrives at Calicut on the Malabar Coast. When did Vasco da Gama reach St Helena?.When did Vasco da Gama sail from Europe to India?.Why did Vasco da Gama go around Africa and reaches India?.