Bartolomeu Dias Rounds the Cape of Good Hope
In January–February 1488, the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to round the southernmost point of Africa, which he initially called the 'Cape of Storms'—reportedly renamed the 'Cape of Good Hope' by King João II upon his return to Lisbon. Dias's fleet was driven south by a great storm and discovered, upon turning north, that the African continent had been passed. His achievement demonstrated that the Indian Ocean was accessible by sea from Europe, directly paving the way for Vasco da Gama's successful voyage to India a decade later.
- Year: 1488 CE
- Category: Political
