Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who is known for being the first European to find an ocean trading route to India. He accomplished this by sailing around the southern tip of Africa and into the Indian Ocean towards the Indian subcontinent. His discovery of this route opened up a major trade route to Asia and helped launch a new era of discovery and world trade. During his voyages, he traded with Arab merchants and discovered valuable trade goods such as gold, jewels, silver, and spices. He also established trade relations with the Hindu rulers of Calicut, but his dealings with them were not always smooth. Despite this, his voyages were a success, and subsequent years saw Portugal sending an annual trading armada via da Gama’s route to trade with India. Vasco da Gamas voyages and explorations helped change the world for Europeans.