On 8 July 1497, the intrepid Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon on a pioneering journey that would change the course of history.
Commanding a fleet of four ships, da Gama embarked on a perilous voyage around the Cape of Good Hope, navigating uncharted waters and hostile seas.
His mission was not only to explore unknown territories but to establish a direct maritime route to India, thus breaking the Arab and Venetian monopoly on the spice trade.
Ten months later, on 20 May 1498, da Gama and his crew triumphantly arrived on the shores of Calicut (modern-day Kozhikode), becoming the first Europeans to reach India by sea.
This monumental achievement ushered in an era of global maritime trade and significantly bolstered Portugal's influence as a burgeoning maritime power.
