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Zheng He sets off on his first voyage in his 440 foot treasure ship. He would later almost touch every coast of the Indian Ocean, collecting treasures and spreading chinese wealth.
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Prince Henry of Portugal founds his first navigation school. He was a patron of exploration, and is sometimes called Prince Henry the Navigator.
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After Zheng He's seventh voyage, China (ruled by the Ming) adopts isolationism. Unlike the Japanase, who isolated themselves because they didn't want outside influence; the Chinese isolated themselves because they could prosper without all of the trading and on their own.
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Christopher Columbus, one of the most well known figures in American History, landed in Hispaniola. He sailed for Spain and was funded by Queen Isabella.
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Pope Alexander VI created the Treaty of Tordesillas. The Line of Demarcation was the predeccesor to the Tready of Tordesillas. Everything West of the line belonged to Portugal and all the land East of the line belonged to Spain.
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On May 20, 1948, Vasco da Gama reached Calicut, India. This was a major breakthrough in exploration because there was finally a sea route to India, which allowed much faster and cheaper trading.
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Ieyasu did many things as a Shogun- moved capital, created a military state, scattered Diamyo areas, etc. He was arguably the most accomplished Shogun of Japan.
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The Qing was the last Dynasty of China. The Qing did a great job upholding Confucian beliefs and became widely accepted, which is suprising considering they were foreigners.