Age of Exploration Timeline By husker17 Jan 1, 1405 Zheng He begins his voyages in China Jan 1, 1488 Bartholomeu Dias rounds the tip of Africa Jan 1, 1492 Christopher Columbus discovers the West Indies Jan 1, 1497 John Cabot discovers Newfoundland Jan 1, 1498 Vasco da Gama reaches India after rounding Africa Jan 1, 1500 Pedro Alvarez Cabral discovers Brazil Mar 2, 2022 Vikings first discover Greenland