How did Bartolomeu Dias help establish a sea route between Europe and India?

Bartolomeu Dias played a foundational role in establishing a sea route between Europe and India by being the first European explorer to successfully round the southern tip of Africa, known as the Cape of Good Hope.1

Commissioned by King John II of Portugal to find the southern limit of the African continent, Dias departed in 1487. During his expedition, he encountered severe storms that forced him to sail south, out of sight of land, into the Atlantic Ocean. By sailing north again, he discovered that the coastline trended northeastward, confirming that the Indian Ocean could be reached by sea.12

Although his crew forced him to turn back at the Great Fish River, his voyage proved the feasibility of the route. This discovery provided the essential geographical knowledge that allowed Vasco da Gama to complete the first successful voyage from Europe to India a decade later. Dias also contributed to this later success by supervising the construction of the ships used for da Gama's historic expedition.123