28 July - S.S Komagata Maru was forced to leave Vancouver in 1914

 

On 28 July 1914, The S.S Komagata Maru was forced to leave Vancouver and sailed for India.

The Komagata Maru incident involved the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru, on which a group of citizens of the British Raj attempted to emigrate to Canada in 1914, but were denied entry and forced to return to Calcutta (present-day Kolkata), India. There they were fired upon by Indian Imperial Police, resulting in the deaths of 20 Sikhs.

Komagata Maru sailed from British Hong Kong, via Shanghai, China, and Yokohama, Japan, to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 1914, carrying 376 passengers from Punjab, British India. Of them, 24 were admitted to Canada, but the other 352 passengers were not allowed to disembark in Canada, and the ship was forced to return to India.The passengers comprised 337 Sikhs, 27 Muslims and 12 Hindus, all Punjabis and British subjects. This was one of several incidents in the early 20th century in which exclusion laws in Canada and the United States were used to exclude immigrants of Asian origin.

08 July - Vasco da Gama set sail on his first voyage in 1497

 

On 8 July 1497, Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama set sail on his first voyage, which would eventually lead to the discovery of a sea route from Europe to India. Da Gama's expedition was commissioned by the Portuguese king, Manuel I, with the objective of finding a direct maritime route to India, bypassing the overland routes controlled by the Ottoman Empire.

Da Gama commanded a fleet of four vessels, including his flagship, the São Gabriel, along with the São Rafael, the Berrio, and a supply ship. The crew consisted of about 170 men, including sailors, soldiers, and interpreters. They departed from Lisbon, Portugal, and embarked on a perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean, along the western coast of Africa.

The voyage was fraught with numerous challenges, including treacherous weather, unfamiliar territories, and scarcity of supplies. The crew faced sickness, hunger, and the loss of lives during the voyage. Nevertheless, da Gama's determination and navigational skills allowed him to overcome these obstacles.

After navigating along the African coast, Vasco da Gama reached the southern tip of Africa, which he named the Cape of Good Hope. From there, he continued eastward, crossing the Indian Ocean. On 20 May 1498, after several months at sea, da Gama's expedition finally made landfall at the port of Calicut (now Kozhikode) on the southwestern coast of India.

This significant achievement established the first direct sea route from Europe to India, opening up lucrative trade opportunities and solidifying Portugal's position as a major maritime power. Da Gama's successful voyage paved the way for subsequent Portuguese expeditions and the establishment of Portuguese colonies and trading posts throughout the Indian Ocean, shaping the course of history in the Age of Exploration.