On this day, in 1497: First direct European voyage to India. On 8 July 1497 Vasco da Gama led a fleet of four ships with a crew of 170 men from Lisbon. The distance traveled in the journey around Africa to India and back was greater than around the equator. The navigators included Portugals most experienced, Pero de Alenquer, Pedro Escobar, João de Coimbra, and Afonso Gonçalves. It is not known for certain how many people were in each ships crew but approximately 55 returned, and two ships were lost.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 21:42:19 +0000