-
The capture of Ceuta in 1415 meant, however, that Portuguese settlers were exposed to a larger number of stories about the interior of Africa.
-
Gil Eanes traveled beyond Cape Bojador and returned to Portugal, eliminating in one broad stroke many of the myths and legends about the "Sea of Darkness".
-
Prince Henry intensified exploration of Africa, sent between 30 and 40 of his ships on missions. Last voyage sponsored by Prince Henry sailed over 1,500 miles down the African coast.
-
King João II sent out Diogo Cão on the first of two voyages. He discovered that the African continent turned south and ran for thousands more kilometres before eventually turning.
-
Bartolomeu Dias continued this exploration by rounding the southern extremity of the African continent in 1488, naming it the Cape of Good Hope.
-
appointed Vasco da Gama as the leader of the expedition that would discover the route to the Indian Ocean that rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1498. This new route marked the beginning of a new era of direct contact between Europe and Asia.