-
Bartolomeu Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope, opening the sea route to Asia.
-
Christopher Columbus, sponsored by Spain, makes his first voyage to the New World, discovering the Bahamas.
-
John Cabot explores the coast of North America under a commission from Henry VII of England, possibly reaching Newfoundland.
-
Vasco da Gama reaches India, establishing a direct trade route between Europe and Asia via the Cape of Good Hope.
-
Pedro Álvares Cabral claims Brazil for Portugal while en route to India.
-
Portuguese explorers reach the Spice Islands (Moluccas), establishing a lucrative spice trade monopoly.
-
Ferdinand Magellan leads the first successful circumnavigation of the globe, although he dies during the journey.
-
Hernán Cortés conquers the Aztec Empire, leading to Spanish colonization of Mexico.
-
Francisco Pizarro conquers the Inca Empire in present-day Peru, leading to Spanish colonization of South America.
-
Sir Francis Drake circumnavigates the globe, becoming the second to do so and raiding Spanish possessions along the way.
-
Sir Walter Raleigh sends an expedition to establish the Roanoke Colony in present-day North Carolina, one of England's first attempts at permanent colonization.
-
The Spanish Armada is defeated by the English fleet, marking the decline of Spanish naval dominance and the rise of England as a maritime power.
-
The Dutch East India Company is established, becoming one of the most powerful trading companies of its time.
-
Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch East India Company, explores the river that would later bear his name, the Hudson River, in present-day New York.
-
The Dutch West India Company is established to focus on trade and colonization in the Americas.
-
The Great Lisbon Earthquake devastates the city of Lisbon, leading to the decline of Portugal as a major colonial power.