Have you ever heard of the city Vasco da Gama in Goa? How about the crater on the moon called Vasco da Gama? He was a Portuguese explorer who stole the spice trade from the Muslims and brought great wealth to his country. It has a fascinating history, an important contribution to global shipping, and many places have been named after it. Vasco da Gama was born in Sines around 1465. Little is known about his early life, but it is thought that he studied in a city called Evora. Around 1480 he followed his father and joined the Order of Santiago. The master of the order was Prince John who would ascend the throne in 1481 as King John II of Portugal; as a devoted member, Gama's prospects increased accordingly. John II sent him to the port of Setubal and the Algarve to seize French ships for their retaliation against Portuguese ships. He accomplished this mission effectively and quickly. This success was what led John II to entrust Gama with a fleet of four ships to discover a route from Portugal to India via the Indian Ocean. He set sail on 8 July 1479. He traveled along the African coast on mapped routes, but then traveled offshore in search of the South Atlantic westerlies he found. The ship traveled over 6,000 miles in three months, the longest voyage without seeing land for that time. He approached Mombasa and Malindi but encountered hostility due to Muslim tensions among Christians. He finally arrived in Calicut, India on 20 May 1498. He met the king of Calicut, the Samudiri. With only minimal gifts the king was unimpressed. Muslim traders tried to persuade the king that he was a common pirate. The King ended up rejecting Gama's offer to let a factor remain in charge of the... middle of paper... African coast where Vasco da Gama landed during his expedition. A city in Goa along with a crater on the moon is named after him. Vasco da Game was the first person to travel to India from Portugal. His first voyage was a success, but his second was a failure. It left a substantial mark on history and had a huge impact for the Portuguese of the time. We see the meaning of his exploration in all the things that bear his name. Works Cited • Hartig, Otto. "Vasco da Gama." The Catholic Encyclopedia. vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. February 18, 2014.• “Vasco da Gama.” ThinkQuest. Np, nd Web. 12 February 2014. http://library.thinkquest.org/4034/dagama.html .• “Vasco da Gama.” History. BBC. BBC and Web. 12 February 2014. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/da_gama_vasco.shtml .