Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who was born in 1469 in Sines,Portugal. His parents were both nobles; his father named, Estêvão da Gama was a knight, and his mother stayed home to take care of Vasco and his 4 siblings. As Vasco's family belonged to a high class, he received a good education. Since Sines is a seaport town, along with learning advanced math, Vasco learned about the principles of navigation. In his late teen years, Vasco joined the Portuguese Army and became a sailor. He used all this knowledge that he learned in his school to be known as the first European who successfully led European ships to India, after Columbus failed to do so.