First European to reach India by sea

May 20, 1498: Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama stepped foot in India. After two years he set sail from Lisbon, da Gama arrived on the Western sea coast of India at Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala. He became the first European explorer that reached India via sea. He is often credited for discovering the sea route from western Europe to the East by way of the Cape of Good Hope.

Many western sailors and merchants tried their hands at discovering a sea route to India, the land famous for spices, wealth and other riches. Earlier, most of the trade happened via land route or through Arab merchants who sold prized goods to Venetians who further traded with the European nations.