Vasco da Gama | Notable Biographies

(1469/12/25 - 1524/12/24)

Vasco da Gama
Portuguese Navigator and Explorer

He was born 25 December 1469 in Sines, Alemtejo (today Baixo Alentejo).
When he was almost a teenager, he took part in the wars against Castile. The King of Portugal, Manuel I, the fortunate, tasked with the Mission of reaching the India by sea, departing from Lisbon, with four boats, July 9, 1497. In November could surround the Cape of good hope (which was edged for the first time in 1488 by the Portuguese Navigator Bartolomeu days of Novaes); then he stopped in Malindi, on the East coast of Africa. With the help of a guide, who got through some Indian merchants in that same port, range followed his trip heading East, to May 20, 1498 reaching Calicut ( Kozhikodecurrent), on the Malabar coastin India, where due to the hostility of Muslim traders could not create a Portuguese trading post. It also had to negotiate his departure from the port of Calicut before returning to Portugal, in 1499.
When it became known in Portugal that a massacre had taken place in the role created by Cabral , range, who had already been appointed Admiral of the India, was commissioned to avenge the wild action. While addressing to Calicut founded several colonies in Mozambique and Sofala (which today is integrated into Mozambique), in East Africa. Upon arrival at Calicut, range subjugated its people and forced the raja to restore peace. Let the India and sailed towards Portugal, in 1503, with a valuable cargo of spices.
He received the title of count of Vidigueira in 1519. Five years later he was appointed Viceroy and traveled to India with a mission of ending the growing corruption of the Portuguese authorities of the colony.
Vasco da range died December 24, 1524 in Cochin.