Vasco da Gama was a 15th century Portuguese explorer who was the first European to reach India by sea, making several voyages to establish trade routes. He was born around 1460-1469 to a noble family and joined the Portuguese navy. In 1497, da Gama led the first European expedition to sail around the southern tip of Africa to reach India, arriving in Calicut on the Malabar Coast in 1498. He made a second voyage in 1502 where he encountered resistance and bombarded Calicut. Da Gama helped establish Portugal's spice trade and naval power. He died in 1524 after making three voyages to open trade routes between Europe and India by sea.