Who reached the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, opening sea route to Asia?

• A. Vasco da Gama
• B. Bartholomew Dias
• C. Christopher Columbus
• D. Ferdinand Magellan

Answer: (B)

Rounding the southern tip of Africa and proving a sea path to Asia happened when Bartholomeu Dias sailed to the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. His voyage demonstrated that a direct route from Europe to the Indian Ocean was possible by sea, which opened up successful maritime trade with Asia instead of relying on land routes or intermediaries. The voyage also earned the cape its hopeful name, signaling a gateway to new global connections and commerce that would accelerate the era of exploration.

Vasco da Gama later reached India by sea in 1497–1498, building on the idea of reaching Asia by sailing around Africa. Christopher Columbus sought a western route to Asia but landed in the Americas in 1492, not near Africa. Ferdinand Magellan organized the first circumnavigation, which began in 1519 and completed in 1522, proving the world’s oceans are connected through global navigation.