Born in Portugal in 1460, Vasco Da Gama was the third son of Estevao da Gama, a nobleman who commanded the fortress at Sines, located on the coast of the Alentejo province in southwestern Portugal.
In 1492, King John II sent Vasco da Gama to the port city of Setubal and to the Algarve region to seize French ships in retaliation for French attacks against Portuguese ships.
In 1497, King John’s successor, King Manuel I, chose Vasco Da Gama to lead a Portuguese fleet to India in search of a maritime route from Western Europe to the East. This was to outflank the Arabs, who had hitherto enjoyed a monopoly of trade with India and other eastern lands.
The Portuguese crew had an advantage, as they knew the route till the Cape of Good Hope since it had already been explored by Bartolomeu Dias.
Thus, Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon on July 8th, 1497. Bartolomeu Dias, the veteran mariner piloted the expedition till Cape Verde Islands.
This was the one of the most remembered voyages in history.
