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How did Vasco da Gama first gain the attention of King John II of Portugal?
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Vasco da Gama
Knight of the Order of Christ, detail identified as Vasco da Gama, Portuguese school, first half of the 16th century; in the National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon.
Vasco da Gama first gained the attention of King John II of Portugal in 1492 through his effective military service. The King tasked him with traveling to the port of Setúbal and the Algarve region to seize French ships. This mission was a retaliatory measure against French peacetime attacks on Portuguese shipping, a task that da Gama performed with notable speed and efficiency.1