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Jan 1, 1405
Zheng He takes first voyage
His first voyage is known for the large ships and the amount of crew members he had aboard. Everywhere he went he gifted people silk and silver to show Chinese superiority. -
Jan 1, 1419
Prine Henry founds first navigation school
Prince Henry's navigation schools were very successful. Mapmakers, instrument makers, shipbuilders, scientists, and sea captains gathered there to perfect their trade. Within several years, Portuguese ships were able to begin sailing down the western coast of Africa. By the time Henry died in 1460, the Portuguese had established a series of trading posts along western Africa's shores. -
Jan 1, 1433
Ming China adopts isolationist policy following Zheng He’s seventh voyage
The isolationist policy was inforced to to keep the influence of outsiders to a minimum. Only the government was to conduct foreign trade and only through three coastal ports, Canton, Macao, and Ningbo. -
Jan 1, 1492
Christopher Columbus lands in Hispaniola
Christopher Columbus, an Italian sea captain, convinced Spain to finance a plan to find a route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus ended up reaching Hispaniola even though he thought he haad reached the East Indies. His voyage opened the way for European colonizations of the Americas. -
Jan 1, 1494
Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas
In 1494, Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas in which they agreed to honor the Line of Demarcation. -
Jan 1, 1498
Vasco da Gama reaches India
When Vasco da Gama reached India he established a port it Calicut. He founded a direct sea route to India for Portugal. Leaving Calicut, he filled his ships with spices such as pepper and cinnamon. Vasco da Gama was the first to sail from Africa to Asia. -
Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun of Japan
Tokugawa completed the unification on Japan. He defeated his rivals at the Battle of Sekigahara. The victory earned him the loyalty of daimyo throughout Japan. Later on, he became the sole ruler, or shogun, and then moved the capital to Edo. -
Manchus establish Qing Dynasty in China
The Manchus, the people of the Manchuria region, invaded China and the Ming Dynasty collapsed. They seized Beijing and their leader became China's new emperor. They renamed the dynasty the Qing dynasty. The Qing dynasty ruled for more than 260 years. It expanded China's borders to include Taiwan, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, and Tibet.
