1. Christopher Columbus: He was a sailor from Genoa in Italy. He believed that the earth was round in shape and thought of reaching India by crossing the Atlantic Ocean. He secured the help of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. They patronized Columbus with ships, men and money. Columbus and his men reached San Salvador, one of the Islands in the Bahamas (West Indies) in 1492.
He believed that he had reached India. Hence he called the natives as ‘Red Indians’, as they were red in colour. Columbus made more voyages and discovered the landmass of South America, Cuba, and Haiti. It may be noted here, that Columbus did not discover the mainland of America.
2. Vasco da Gama: He was a Portuguese sailor, who discovered the sea route to India. He was patronized by Emmanuel II, the Portuguese King. He sailed along the Western coast of ** and reached the Cape of Storms, which&was calm and pleasant. It gave a definite hope of discovering the sea route to the East. Hence he renamed it as ‘The Cape of Good Hope’. Then he sailed straight across the Indian Ocean and reached Calicut in the Malabar Coast in 1498. His voyage opened the gate for Europeans to enter India.
