Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who made three voyages to India between 1497 and 1524, opening a sea route from Europe to India and making Portugal a world power. On his first voyage, da Gama departed Lisbon in 1497 with four ships and 170 men, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and arriving in Calicut, India. While he struggled to establish trade, the voyage proved Europe could reach India by sea. Da Gama commanded two more fleets and tried to assert Portuguese control, but died of malaria in India in 1524.