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May 26, 1394
prince henry the navigator
an important figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire, being responsible for the beginning of the European worldwide explorations. -
Period: May 26, 1400 to
The West and the World
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May 26, 1433
china ends great expiditions
Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming government sponsored a series of seven naval expeditions. Emperor Yongle designed them to establish a Chinese presence, impose imperial control over trade, and impress foreign peoples in the Indian Ocean basin. He also might have wanted to extend the tributary system. -
May 26, 1434
portugal extends expeditions down west african coast
Fifteenth Century Portugal, especially under Henry the Navigator probed along the West African coast. Scientific curiosity and Christian missionary spirit soon were subordinated to mercantile considerations, including lucrative trafficking in enslaved persons. -
May 26, 1488
portuguese round cape of good hope
Thus the first rounding of the cape in 1488 by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias was a major milestone in the attempts by the Portuguese to establish direct trade relations with the Far East. He called the cape Cabo das Tormentas. -
May 26, 1492
columbus's first expedition
voyage of 1492, which resulted in what is widely referred to as the Discovery of America,[1] although he did not actually reach the South American mainland until his third voyage in 1498. -
May 26, 1497
vasco da gama to 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. -
May 26, 1509
first spanish colonies on latin american mainland
was the exploration, conquest, settlement and political rule over much of the western hemisphere. It was initiated by the Spanish conquistadors and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries with auxiliaries, for the real needs of wealth and trade and perceived need of indigenous conversions, that existed for a period of over four hundred years. -
May 26, 1514
expedition to indonesia
Portuguese sailors were at the vanguard of European overseas exploration, discovering and mapping the coasts of Africa, Asia and Brazil, in what become known as the Age of Discovery. Methodical expeditions started in 1419 along West Africa's coast under the sponsorship of prince Henry the Navigator, reaching the Cape of Good Hope and entering the Indian Ocean in 1488. -
May 26, 1519
magellan circumnavigates globe
Magellan's expedition of 1519–1522 became the first expedition to sail from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean (then named "peaceful sea" by Magellan; the passage being made via the Strait of Magellan), and the first to cross the Pacific. It also completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth, although Magellan himself did not complete the entire voyage, being killed during the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines. -
May 26, 1534
first french explorations in canada
Quebec has played a special role in Canadian history; it is the site where French settlers founded the colony of Canada (New France) in the 1600s and 1700s. Its history has taken a somewhat different path from the rest of Canada. -
May 26, 1542
portuguese reach japan
The Portuguese arrived in Japan in 1543. Japan was known to Portugal since the time of Marco Polo, who called it Cipango. Whether Portuguese nationals were the first Europeans to arrive in Japan is debatable. -
May 26, 1562
britian begins its slave trade
From the 16th to 19th century, Barbary Corsairs raided the coasts of Europe and attacked lone ships at sea. From 1609 to 1616, England lost 466 merchant ships to Barbary pirates. 160 English ships were captured by Algerians between 1677 and 1680.[51]. Many of the captured sailors were made into slaves. -
May 26, 1571
ottoman fleet defeated in battle of lepanto
The five-hour battle was fought at the northern edge of the Gulf of Patras, off western Greece, where the Ottoman forces sailing westwards from their naval station in Lepanto met the Holy League forces, which had come from Messina. -
british defeat spanish armada
was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England. The mission was a total failure and a landmark in naval history for a poorly planned and badly handled operation. -
japan begins isolation policy
was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. -
first british colony in virginia
that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. -
first french colonies in canada; first trading concession in india to england
After Champlain's founding of Quebec City in 1608, it became the capital of New France. Encouraging settlement was difficult, and while some immigration did occur, by 1763 New France only had a population of some 65,000. -
dutch begin conquests on java
the Dutch initially built up colonial possessions on the basis of indirect state capitalist corporate colonialism, via the Dutch East and West India Companies. Dutch exploratory voyages such as those led by Willem Barents, Henry Hudson and Abel Tasman revealed to Europeans vast new territories. -
french-british wars in india
The French Revolutionary Wars are usually divided between those of the First Coalition (1792–1797) and the Second Coalition (1798–1801), although France was at war with Great Britain continuously from 1793 to 1802.
