Today in 1497, Vasco da Gama ...

Today, on July 8, 1497, Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon on the first direct European voyage to India. It is a good thing he did not run into the massive Chinese fleet of Admiral Cheng Ho! (also written as Zheng He).

Comparison of the Portuguese ships to the Chinese flag ship of Zheng He

Vasco da Gama BBC

Vasco da Gama Wikipedia



Vasco da Gama's route (below):














Zheng He's massive Chinese fleet sailed the Indian ocean about 60 years before Vaco da Gama's arrival ... from 1405 to 1433.

Zheng He (Wikipedia)