Exploration and Contact Timeline

Zheng He First Voyage

Jan 1, 1405

First voyage of many for arguably the greatest mariner of the 15th century

Prince Henry Opens First Navigation School

Sep 17, 1419

Prince Henry is famous for opening navigation schools, and this is the first step taken to Portugal's dominance in the early 1400s.

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

Sep 17, 1433

This is when China stop exploring outwards. They just fortified themselves because they thought they had everyting they needed.

Christopher Columbus lands in Hispaniola

Sep 17, 1492

Columbus reaches the Americas.

Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas

Sep 17, 1494

This gave the Portugese some of Brazil, and spain almost all of the New World. Seemed fair at the time, now, not so much.

Vasco da Gama reaches India

Sep 17, 1498

Da Gama was the first to find a direct sea route to India.

Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun of Japan

Sep 17, 1603

First shogun in Japan, start of 250 year rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Manchus establish Qing Dynasty in China

Sep 17, 1644