King John II of Portugal Greets Vasco da Gama, 1499

Vasco da Gama (1460s - Decmeber 24, 1524) was a Portuguese explorer. In 1497, he led a fleet of four ships with a crew of 170 men from Lisbon on a journey around Africa and arrived in Kappadu near Calicut, India in May 1498. He was celebrated for opening a direct sea route to Asia and for Portugal's success as an early colonizing power. Following his initial voyage, the Portuguese crown realized that securing outposts on the eastern coast of Africa would prove vital to maintaining national trade routes to the Far East. Setting out in April 1524, with a fleet of fourteen ships, he took as his flagship carrack Santa Catarina do Monte Sinai on her last journey to India. He arrived in India in September, but contracted malaria and died on Christmas Eve, 1524. Da Gama remains a leading figure in the history of exploration. His first trip to India is widely considered a milestone in world history, as it marked the beginning of a sea-based phase of global multiculturalism. John II (March 3, 1455 - October 25, 1495), the Perfect Prince (Portuguese: PrCincipe Perfeito), was the king of Portugal and the Algarves in 1477/1481E??1495. He is known for re-establishing the power of the Portuguese throne, reinvigorating the Portuguese economy, and renewing his country's exploration of Africa and the Orient

Picture No

12698501

Media ID

48540383

Size

4500px x 3075px (6.9MB)

Credit

LOC/Science Source/Mary Evans