Famous for : Discovered an ocean route from Portugal to the East, assumed to be impossible feat as it was believed that the Indian Ocean was not connected to any other seas 
Facts, Timeline & History about the life of Vasco da Gama - Explorer and Navigator

The following are additional facts and a timeline about the life and history of Vasco da Gama: 
Vasco da Gama was born in Sines, Province of Alemtejo, Portugal 
He came from a noble Portuguese family and his father was a distinguished soldier who attended the Portuguese court 

Vasco da Gama was well educated as befitted his status and would have been taught several languages, physics, geometry, mathematics and astronomy 

1492 King John II of Portugal sent Vasco da Gama to Setubal, on the Lisbon coast, to seize French ships in retaliation for French raids against Portuguese ships 

1497 January the command of an expedition to find a sea route to the East Indies was given to Vasco da Gama 

1497 July 8  Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon under the leadership of the three da Gama bothers: Vasco, Paulo, and Nicolao Coelho accompanied by crews of about one hundred and fifty men 
Four ships were in the fleet led by Vasco de Gama 
The Sao Gabriel which da Gama commanded 
The Sao Rafael 
The Berrio 

A storeship 

1497 November 22 Vasco da Gama sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa 

1497 December 25 da Gama reached the coast of Natal 

1498 January Da Gama reached the mouth of the Zambezi 
There journey was dangerous and they were attacked by Arabs 

1498 May 20 The voyage of discovery reached its destination - the Indies and Calcutta, India 

1498 October 5 Vasco da Gama sets sail for home and Portugal 

1499 September: Vasco da Gama returns to Portugal to great acclaim. He is created Admiral of the Indian Ocean 

1502 King Manuel I of Portugal sent da Gama on another expedition to India and da Gama returned in 1503 

1519 the title of Count is bestowed on Vasco da Gama 

1524 King John III sends Vasco da Gama to India as the Portuguese viceroy 

1524 Vasco Da Gama dies in Cochin on the Malabar coast, India on 24 December, 1524 

1539 The remains of Vasco da Gama are returned to Portugal and his body is lain to rest at Vidigueira 

Facts about the 1497 Vasco da Gama Ships - the Sao Gabriel, the Sao Rafael and the Berrio
The names of the 1497 Vasco da Gama Ships were the Sao Gabriel, the Sao Rafael and the Berrio. The brave men of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries who sailed in uncharted waters to unknown lands were courageous adventurers who were motivated by fame, glory and the wealth. The living conditions on board the small ships were basic and the voyages were dangerous. 

Various aids to navigation were available on ships during the Renaissance. The Navigational aids that Vasco da Gama would have used on his ships included: 

Astrolabes 
Charts 
Compasses 
Cross-staffs 
Nocturnals 
Traverse boards 
Almanacs 

All of the navigational aids used by Vasco da Gama on the Sao Gabriel, the Sao Rafael and the Berrio were used to measure the angle between objects above the ocean, such as the stars or the sun, with the horizon. This would have enabled Vasco da Gama to calculate the ship's position at sea 

Conditions on the Vasco da Gama ships would have been very basic. Food provisions would have included bread, beer, fish and salted meat. The Captain would have had some private stores which might include wine and fresh livestock 

The Sao Gabriel, the Sao Rafael and the Berrio were all small ships, about 80 tons 
The overall length of the ships would have been about 80 feet 
The sail area of the ships would have been about 2500 square feet