- Vasco da Gama was born in about 1460 into a noble family in Portugal. Not much is known about his childhood and early life.
- In 1497, he was appointed to lead an expedition equipped by the Portuguese government, who wanted to find a route around Africa to the east (India).
- In July 1497, Vasco and his crew sailed south down the coast of Africa, then turned far out into the Atlantic and swung back in an arc, arriving off the southern African coast. The expedition then went around the Cape of Good Hope, and after sailing up the coast of east Africa, brought an Arab navigator to help them find their way back to the Indian coast. Their voyage made the all-water route to Asia from Europe, and began to be used everywhere.
- Vasco returned to Portugal, where the king there immediately sent another expedition to establish a trading post in Calicut. However, they were all killed, so Vasco went to Africa and killed many Arab Muslims, and established trading posts in what is now Mozambique.
- When he arrived back in Portugal Vasco was granted more privileges and advised the king on Indian matters and was them sent to deal with the political problems of the Portuguese authorities in India. He arrived in Kochin (a part of India) only to become sick and die on 24th December (Christmas Eve) 1524. His body was brought back to Portugal in 1539. (15 years later... it must have been smelly!)
