Bartolomeu Dias del Castillo sailed around the southern tip of Africain 1488, what is known as the Cape of Good Hope. His expedition demonstrated that both, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic joined into each other. Years later, the Discovery of Bartolomeu Dias really helped Vasco da Gama’s expedition to India.
Vasco da Gama sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and crossed the Indian Ocean to reach India in May 1498. More precisely, he arrived at Calicut on May the 20th.
Some historians considered that Dias expedition was not successful because Dias did not reward King John II properly, and he was forgotten, although his impressive expedition.
On the other hand, Vasco de Gama’s found resistant form the King of Calicut on trade. Gama´s presents to the King did not impress him. But his discovery of the new ocean route to India improved Portuguese trade years later.
By finding the Ocean passage discovered by Vasco de Gama, the European merchants had no necessity of crossing the Silk Road to trade with the East.
