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Bartolomeu Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope, opening the sea route to Asia. -
Christopher Columbus, sponsored by Spain, makes his first voyage to the New World, discovering the Bahamas. -
John Cabot explores the coast of North America under a commission from Henry VII of England, possibly reaching Newfoundland. -
Vasco da Gama reaches India, establishing a direct trade route between Europe and Asia via the Cape of Good Hope. -
Pedro Álvares Cabral claims Brazil for Portugal while en route to India. -
Portuguese explorers reach the Spice Islands (Moluccas), establishing a lucrative spice trade monopoly. -
Ferdinand Magellan leads the first successful circumnavigation of the globe, although he dies during the journey.
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Hernán Cortés conquers the Aztec Empire, leading to Spanish colonization of Mexico. -
Francisco Pizarro conquers the Inca Empire in present-day Peru, leading to Spanish colonization of South America. -
Sir Francis Drake circumnavigates the globe, becoming the second to do so and raiding Spanish possessions along the way.
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Sir Walter Raleigh sends an expedition to establish the Roanoke Colony in present-day North Carolina, one of England's first attempts at permanent colonization.
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The Spanish Armada is defeated by the English fleet, marking the decline of Spanish naval dominance and the rise of England as a maritime power. -
The Dutch East India Company is established, becoming one of the most powerful trading companies of its time. -
Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch East India Company, explores the river that would later bear his name, the Hudson River, in present-day New York. -
The Dutch West India Company is established to focus on trade and colonization in the Americas. -
The Great Lisbon Earthquake devastates the city of Lisbon, leading to the decline of Portugal as a major colonial power.