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1419
Prince Henry the Navigator
By sponsoring the exploration of the southern shore of the Mediterranean, Portugal became a navigating powerhouse. -
1453
Fall of Constantinople
The Ottoman Empire took control of Constantinople and began expanding, pressuring an already poor Portugal to seek new lands. -
1488
Indian Ocean Exploration
Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope/Cape of Storms, exploring the Indian Ocean. -
1492
Christopher Columbus's First Voyage
Christopher Columbus lands in the Caribbean, discovering the New World. -
1497
England reaches the New World
In a voyage sponsored by King Henry VII, John Cabots reached Canada. -
1497
Treaty of Tordesillas
Provided a boundary in South America between Portuguese lands and Spanish lands. Essentially, it gave control of modern-day Brazil to Portugal. -
1521
The Aztecs Fall
Hernan Cortez defeated the Aztecs with help from some Indigenous tribes. -
1522
Circumnavigation
Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigates the globe. -
1532
The Inca Empire Falls
Francisco Pizarro kills the last Incan emperor. -
British East India Trading Company & Dutch East India Company
The English and the Dutch established colonies in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand.