Age of Exploration By sears1229 Dec 16, 1000 Vikings first discover Greenland Dec 16, 1407 Zheng He begins his voyages in China Dec 16, 1482 Christopher Columbus discovers the West Indies Dec 16, 1488 Bartholomeu Dias rounds the tip of Africa Dec 16, 1497 John Cabot discovers Newfoundland May 20, 1498 Vasco da Gama reaches India after rounding Africa Dec 16, 1500 Pedro Alvarez Cabral discovers Brazil Dec 10, 1522 Megellan’s ship Sails around the wrold