<Dl> <Dt> 1497 - 1499 </Dt> <Dd> The Portuguese Vasco da Gama, accompanied by Nicolau Coelho and Bartolomeu Dias, is the first European to reach India by an all - sea route from Europe . </Dd> </Dl> <Dt> 1497 - 1499 </Dt> <Dd> The Portuguese Vasco da Gama, accompanied by Nicolau Coelho and Bartolomeu Dias, is the first European to reach India by an all - sea route from Europe . </Dd> <Dl> <Dt> 1500 - 1501 </Dt> <Dd> After discovering Brazil, Pedro Álvares Cabral, with the half of an original fleet of 13 ships and 1,500 men, accomplished the second Portuguese trip to India . Boats were commanded by Cabral, Bartolomeu Dias, Nicolau Coelho, Sancho de Tovar, Simão de Miranda, Aires Gomes da Silva, Vasco de Ataíde, Diogo Dias, Simão de Pina, Luís Pires, Pêro de Ataíde and Nuno Leitão da Cunha . It is not known which one between Gaspar de Lemos and André Gonçalves, commanded the ship which returned to Portugal with the news of the discovery . Luís Pires returned to Portugal just after reaching Cape Verde . Vasco de Ataíde, Bartolomeu Dias, Simão de Pina and Aires Gomes' ships were lost near the Cape of Good Hope . The ship commanded by Diogo Dias separated and discovered Madagascar . He was then the first to reach the Red Sea by boat . Nuno Leitão da Cunha, Nicolau Coelho, Sancho de Tovar, Simão de Miranda, Pero de Ataíde did the entire trip to India . Among other passengers were: Pêro Vaz de Caminha and the Franciscan father, Frei Henrique de Coimbra . </Dd> </Dl>

Who led the first expedition to reach asia by sailing west across the pacific ocean