Exploration&Contact

Zheng He takes first voyage

Sep 15, 1405

Zheng He takes his first voyage on behalf of China. He traveled with hundreds of ships on each voyage.

Prince Henry founds first navigation school

Sep 15, 1419

Prince Henry founds Portuguese navigation schools to help Portugal become the center of the exploration community.

Ming China adopts isolationist policy following Zheng He’s seventh voyage

Sep 15, 1433

Ming China stops exploration and begins to islote by devoting resources to building the Great Wall of China.

Christopher Columbus lands in Hispaniola

Sep 15, 1492

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus lands in the "New World" on a voyage supposed to reach Asia on behalf of Spain.

Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas

Sep 15, 1494

The Pope divides the new world between Spain and Portugal and they sign the treaty.

Vasco da Gama reaches India

Sep 15, 1498

Vasco de Gama finds the first sea route from western Europe to Asia. He goes around the tip of Africa.

Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun of Japan

Sep 15, 1603

Tokugawa Ieyasu unifies the formerly warring state Japanese by using force and becomes the shogun.

Manchus establish Qing Dynasty in China

Sep 15, 1644

Manchus take over China and end the Ming Dynasty.