Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama was the third son of a noble family in Portugal. He was born around 1460. He was the first European to reach India by sea. His sea career began when he was old enough to join the Portuguese navy. Portugal was a strong maritime power thanks to the work of Henry the Navigator, who brought together a team of map makers, navigators and geographers.

Vasco da Gama Portuguese explorers set out to explore the western coast of Africa and expand Portugal’s trade influence. In 1487, Bartolomeu Dias changed everything when he rounded the Cape of Good Hope, entering the Indian Ocean.

Vasco da Gama Interest renewed in finding a water route to India. In 1497, King Manuel I selected da Gama for a four vessel team with the flagship, St. Gabriel. Following the path of Dias, da Gama sailed uncharted waters up the coast of east Africa. Well, it was uncharted for these Europeans, but not the Moslem merchants already trading there.

The Portuguese landed in Mozambique and Kenya before crossing the Indian Ocean for Calicut, India. That’s when da Gama became the first European to accomplish the trip to India by sea.

Vasco da Gama It was not an easy task. Many of the sailors died from scurvy and more died facing monsoon weather. The round trip took almost two years. When completed, da Gama sailed almost 24,000 miles! But, only 54 of the original 170 members of the fleet survived. Still, Vasco da Gama returned a hero.