Vasco da Gama, Portuguese Explorer

Vasco da Gama, Portuguese Explorer

Entitled: "Vasco da Gama' arriving in Calicut." Vasco da Gama (1460s - Decmeber 24, 1524) was a Portuguese explorer and one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery. On da Gama's first voyage, in 1497, he led a fleet of four ships with a crew of 170 men from Lisbon. The distance traveled in the journey around Africa to India and back was greater than around the equator. The fleet arrived in Kappadu near Calicut, India in May 1498. He was celebrated for opening a direct sea route to Asia. Vasco da Gama was responsible 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 the famous large carrack Santa Catarina do Monte Sinai on her last journey to India. After a troubled journey 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. Numerous homages have been made worldwide to celebrate his explorations and accomplishments. 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.

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19.1 x 37.3 cm | 7.5 x 14.7 in (300 dpi)