Timeline

15th century

1. October 12, 1492★★★★★

   Columbus reaches the Americas

   Christopher Columbus's Spanish-sponsored expedition makes landfall on an island in the Bahamas.

   Exploration· Bahamas, Spain
2. June 7, 1494★★★★★

   Treaty of Tordesillas

   Spain and Portugal agree to divide newly found lands outside Europe along a meridian in the Atlantic.

   TreatyExploration· Spain, Portugal
3. July 8, 1497 – May 20, 1498★★★★★

   Vasco da Gama sails from Europe to India

   Vasco da Gama's fleet left Lisbon, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, sailed up the East African coast and reached Calicut, opening a direct sea route between Europe and Asia.

   ExplorationEconomy· Portugal, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, India
4. c. 15th century – c. 1860s★★★★★

   The transatlantic slave trade

   From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.

   Economy· Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Brazil, United States, Portugal, United Kingdom
5. April 22, 1500★★★★★

   Cabral reaches Brazil

   A Portuguese fleet under Pedro Álvares Cabral reaches the coast of Brazil, beginning Portugal's claim to and colonization of the land.

   Exploration· Brazil, Portugal