He was a Portuguese navigator and the 1st European to reach India, circumnavigating Africa.
This helped Portuguese traders to have a monopoly on pepper and cinnamon in Europe for decades.
He was born in 1460 or 1469.
He studied mathematics and navigation.
In July 1497 he started his first voyage with 4 ships and 170 men. They arrived in India in April of the following year.
The end of the trip was the return to Portugal in August of the same year.
He died in 1524 of malaria.
[Source: en.wikipedia.org]
