In that year died Prince Henry the Navigator, to whose intelligence and foresight must be traced back all the fame that Portugal gained on the seas in the 15th and 16th centuries. His descent, according to the Nobiliario of Antonio de Lima, was derived from a noble family which is mentioned in the year 1166 but the line cannot be traced without interruption farther back than the year 1280, to one Alvaro da Gama, from whom was descended Estevão da Gama, civil governor of Sines, whose third son Vasco was born probably about the year 1460. Of da Gama's early history little is known. Portuguese navigator and discoverer of the sea route to India, was born at Sines, a small seaport in the province of Alemtejo. Remains: Buried, Jeronimos Monastery, Lisbon, PortugalĮxecutive summary: Explorer, conqueror, privateer