1497 - John Cabot sets sail from Bristol on his ship The Mathew looking for a route to the west (other documents give a May 2 date).
1498Events May 20 Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut (now Kozhikode), India, becoming the first European to get there by sailing around Africa. May 23 Girolamo Savonarola, ruler of Florence, is executed for criticizing the Pope. July 31 On h - PortugueseRepublica Portuguesa ( In Detail) National motto: None Official language Portuguese 3 Capital Lisbon President Jorge Sampaio Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes Area Total % water World ranking: 109th 92,391 km²0. 5 % Population Total ( 2004) Density World explorer Vasco da GamaSee Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama for the football club. Vasco da Gama ( 1469 December 24, 1524), was a Portuguese explorer who was the first person to sail from Europe to Malabar, India. From the early 15th century, the nautical school of Henry the Navi arrives at KozhikodeKozhikode also known as Calicut is the third largest city (pop. 801,190:1991) in the state of Kerala, India and was part of erstwhile Malabar District. This city is famous for receiving Vasco da Gama in 1498. He landed in the remote beach Kappad which is (previously known as Calicut), IndiaThe Republic of India is a large multicultural country in South Asia, with a population of over one billion. The Indian economy is the fourth largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity, and is the world's second-fastest growing economy..
1521Events January 3 Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther. January 28 Diet of Worms begins, lasting until May 25. March 6 Ferdinand Magellan discovers Guam. March 16 Ferdinand Magellan reaches the Philippines. April 7 Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Cebu. - Battle of PampelunaThe Battle of Pampeluna (also spelled Pamplona) occurred during the war between Spain and France, in which France took possession of Pampeluna ( 1521), but was later defeated and expelled ( 1522) from Milan. Also See Battle of Nevarre Battle of Fontarabia.
1570Events January 23 The assassination of regent James Stewart, Earl of Moray throws Scotland into civil war February 25 Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England. May 20 Abraham Ortelius issues the first modern atlas. August 8 The Peace of Sai - CartographerAbraham Ortelius issues the first modern atlas.
1690 - England passes the Act of Grace , forgiving followers of CatholicJames II.
1927 - At 7:52 A.M Charles Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York on the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean (he will touch down at Le Bourget Field in Paris at 10:22 P.M. the next day).
1990 - The first post- Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.
1992 - Amy Fisher, the so-called "Long Island Lolita," is arrested for shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco on the front porch of her Massapequa, New York home.