This day in history is marked by a number of significant events, including maritime discoveries, major disasters, and moments that have influenced the course of world history.
Maritime Discoveries and Contacts
In 1497, the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama began his first voyage. He became the first European to reach India by sea. Over four months, the crew crossed the Atlantic without sighting land until they reached a place now known as St Helena Bay. Near the mouth of the Berg River, the explorers stopped for repairs, to find water, and to determine their location. It was here that they had their first encounter with the Khoikhoi people. Due to misunderstandings between the groups, the Khoikhoi threw spears, wounding Da Gama in the thigh.
Tragedies and Military Events
In 1708, the British navy destroyed a Spanish fleet that was extremely rich in gold, silver, and emeralds near Colombia. One of the treasure ships, San Jose, sank and earned the nickname 'Holy Grail of Shipwrecks'. In 1961, the Portuguese vessel SS Save sank off Mozambique, resulting in the death of 227 people.
Infrastructure and Scientific Events
In 1895, the important Delagoa-Beira railway line connecting Johannesburg and Maputo was opened. In 1947, reports emerged of a UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico. In 1949, the Law prohibiting mixed marriages came into effect, banning love, marriage, and sexual relations between Black and white people.
Contemporary and Recent Events
In 2018, four boys were the first rescued after being trapped in a Thai cave for 16 days. They were given sedatives to prevent panic, and each was pulled out, attached to the cave diver during a dangerous underwater journey. Eight other boys and their football coach remained trapped, awaiting rescue. The two-day rescue operation became one of the most complex cave rescues in history and was recognized as an outstanding example of international cooperation, engineering ingenuity, courage, and teamwork. In 2021, a small sketch by Leonardo da Vinci, 'Head of a Bear', the size of a sticker, was sold at auction in London for 8.9 million pounds sterling. In 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while speaking in Nara. In 2025, US President Donald Trump stated that the United States would send more weapons to Ukraine, although he had previously said he would not do so during the election campaign, and repeatedly criticized opponents publicly, using the word 'liar' in their names.