Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama became the first European to reach India by sea, arriving at Calicut in May 1498 after rounding the southern tip of Africa. The voyage opened a direct maritime trade route between Europe and Asia, bypassing the overland routes long controlled by Middle Eastern and Italian intermediaries. It marked a turning point that helped launch the age of global maritime trade.
Record no. MRB-2026-005864
First direct sea route from Europe to India
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