Exploration and Contact

By JohnLee'sTimeline
  • Sep 16, 1405

    Zheng He Takes First Voyage

    Zheng He was a chinese muslim commander that led all seven voyages from China to Africa and Asia. In 1405, Zheng He, one of the greatest explorers, decided to travel around the Indian Ocean with his huge fleet. He stopped at many ports and traded with native parts of India's Coast.
  • Sep 16, 1419

    Prince Henry finds first navigation school

    Prince Henry the Navigator was a Portuguese explorer, soldier and prince. In 1419, Prince Henry started the first school of navigation. The goal of the school was to train people in navigation, map-making and science to prepare them to sail around the west coast of Africa.
  • Sep 16, 1433

    Ming China adopts isolationist policy following Zheng He’s seventh voyage

    The Ming Dynasty is the dynasty that isolated China from the outside world. Then the Qing dynasty followed. The empire stayed isolated for over 400 years because the Chinese did not want to face other parts of the world. Therefore, the Great Wall of China was created.
  • Sep 16, 1492

    Christopher Columbus lands in Hispaniola

    In 1492, Christopher Columbus led an expedition to find a faster route to Asia for trading. Columbus mistakenly had reached what is now America, but Columbus thought it was Asia.
  • Sep 16, 1494

    Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas

    In 1494, Spain and Portugal had found out that Christopher Colombus and found new land. Spain and Portugal then were fighting over who had what territory. They went to the Pope and decided that Portugal have the west and Spain have the east.
  • Sep 16, 1498

    Vasco da Gama reaches India

    Vasco de Gama's had set out a voyage to explore east Africa and ended up in the south coast of India. de Gama traded there and returned home rich.

  • Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun of Japan

    In 1603 a stong Daimyo allie of Toyotomi Hideyoshi named Tokugawa Leyaso began the unification of Japan. He moved the orignial capital Kyoto, to Edo which is now Tokyo. He also founded the Tokugawa Shotgunate which lasted about 200 years.

  • Manchus establish Qing Dynasty in China

    The Manchus from Manchuria, next to the boarder of China, invaded China just when the Ming dynasty was falling. Then, the Manchus had founded the Qing Dynasty.