Dom Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (IPA: ['vaʃku dɐ 'gɐmɐ]) (Sines or Vidigueira, Alentejo, Portugal, ca. either 1460 or 1469 – December 24, 1524 in Kochi, India) was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the European Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India.Vasco da Gama was probably born in either 1460[1] or 1469[2], in Sines, on the southwest coast of Portugal, probably in a house near the church of Nossa Senhora das Salas. Sines, one of the few seaports on the Alentejo coast, consisted of little more than a cluster of whitewashed, red-tiled cottages, tenanted chiefly by fisherfolk.
Vasco da Gama's father was Estêvão da Gama. In the 1460s he was a knight in the household of the Duke of Viseu, Dom Fernando. Dom Fernando appointed him Alcaide-Mór or Civil Governor of Sines and enabled him to receive a small revenue from taxes on soap making in Estremoz.
Estêvão da Gama was married to Dona Isabel Sodré, daughter of João Sodré (also known as João de Resende; of English origin[citation needed], with links to the household of Prince Diogo, Duke of Viseu[citation needed], son of King Edward I of Portugal and governor of the military Order of Christ).
Little is known of Vasco da Gama's early life. It has been suggested that he studied at the inland town of Évora, which is where he may have learnt mathematics and navigation and that he knew astronomy well, having learned from the famous astronomer Abraham Zacuto.
In 1492 King John II of Portugal sent Gama to the port of Setúbal, south of Lisbon and to the Algarve, Portugal's southernmost province, to seize French ships in retaliation for peacetime depredations against Portuguese shipping - a task that Vasco rapidly and effectively performed.Bartolomeu Dias had already rounded Africa's Cape of Good Hope in 1488, in an historic event that was the culmination of a generation of Portuguese sea exploration fostered by Henry the Navigator.
Gama's voyage was successful in reaching India. This permitted Europeans to trade with the Far East without having to endure the costs and hazards of the Silk Road caravans, which followed inland routes through the Middle East and Central Asia at a time when much of this territory was part of the Mughal Empire. However, Gama's achievements were somewhat dimmed by his failure to bring any trade goods of interest to the nations of Asia Minor and India. Moreover, the sea route was fraught with its own perils - his fleet went more than three months without seeing land and only 54 of his 170 companions, on two of his four ships, returned to Portugal in 1499. Nevertheless, Gama's initial journey ushered in an era of European domination through sea power and commerce that lasted several hundred years and 450 years of Portuguese colonialism in India and Africa that brought wealth and power to the Portuguese monarch
2007-10-13 03:00:25
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answer #1
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answered by sparks9653 6
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Lisbon is Europe's second-oldest capital and after home to the world's best explorers like Vasco da Gama, Magellan and Prince Henry the Navigator, becoming the very first correct earth city, the capital of an empire distributing overall continents, from South America (Brazil) to Asia (Macao, China; Goa, India) and know you can invest a couple of day to understand that ancient city, with hotelbye is where you must start. The most acknowledged of Lisbon's important attractions could be the St. George's Castle. That fort instructions a glorious place near Alfama on the crown of a hill overlooking the Portuguese capital. This is certainly one of Lisbon's most popular tourist destinations. Its outstanding battlements, interesting museum, and intriguing archaeological site combine to make the fort a satisfying knowledge for the whole family, and kiddies especially will cherish clambering within the durable walls and towers that encircle the grounds.
2016-12-20 16:29:05
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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Vasco da gama was a portugese sailor and explorer that lived in the later part of the 15th century and early 16th.
He's famous for discovering the maritime route between Portugal and the east indies.
2007-10-13 02:21:22
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answer #3
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answered by Serenety 1
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Founded the Cape of Good Hope and a way to get to India and other Asian countries by going around this cape in 1497-1498
2007-10-13 03:53:34
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answer #4
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answered by Dave aka Spider Monkey 7
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He was a Portuguese explorer who lived late 15th early 16th centuries
2007-10-13 01:43:20
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answer #5
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answered by Spanishscotty 4
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He was famous explorer before I was born
2007-10-14 18:09:34
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answer #6
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answered by John C 1
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There are many ways of finding the infomation you want, and I have included the links you will need to help you. Of course, in addition to this, you can also use the resources at your local library, they are only too happy to help you with your searches and queries.
http://www.google.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://uk.search.yahoo.com/web
http://findarticles.com/
http://vos.ucsb.edu/index.asp
http://www.aresearchguide.com/
http://www.geocities.com/athens/troy/886...
http://www.studentresearcher.com/search/...
http://www.chacha.com/
2007-10-17 01:21:41
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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was'nt he a sailor?did he find the new world yes he was spanish sailor think the queen was isabella
2007-10-13 01:43:32
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answer #8
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answered by vikki 2
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