Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama's fleet reaches the Indian port of Calicut, opening the first direct sea route between Europe and Asia.

Vasco da Gama's fleet, having reached India, began its return leg from Calicut, a pivotal moment in opening the sea route between Europe and Asia.

Florentine friar Girolamo Savonarola, who had ruled the city through fiery moral crusades and bonfires of vanities, was hanged and burned in the Piazza della Signoria.

Vasco da Gama's fleet, having rounded Africa, dropped anchor near Calicut on India's Malabar Coast, opening the first direct sea route between Europe and Asia.

Christopher Columbus set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with six ships on his fourth and final voyage across the Atlantic.

Vasco da Gama's fleet departed Calicut, India, marking the practical end of the first direct sea voyage from Europe to Asia, reshaping global trade forever.