On this day, 525 years ago, on May 24, 1500 (April 27, 1500), the Portuguese navigator Diaz died. In the late 13th century, the travelogues of the Venetian merchant Marco Polo depicted the East as a land of gold, wealth and prosperity, which caused the West to search for gold in the East. However, the rise of the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the main transportation routes between the East and the West, and the wanton taxation and extortion of merchants passing through the border. Coupled with war and pirate plunder, the trade between the East and the West was seriously hindered. By the 15th century, Portugal and Spain had completed the process of political unification and centralization, and they regarded the opening of new shipping routes to the East as an important source of income. In this way, the merchants and feudal masters of the two countries became the first colonial navigators in the world. The Portuguese navigator Bartro Miu Diaz (circa 1450-1500) took orders from King John II of Portugal and set out from Lisbon in August 1487, leading two galleons of 100 tons each, sailing south along the west coast of Africa. On March 12, 1488, they inscribed the name of King John II of Portugal on the southernmost cliffs of Africa, as well as the Portuguese coat of arms, crosses, etc., to commemorate the discovery. In December 1488, after a year and five months of sailing, the fleet returned safely to Lisbon. This was a breakthrough for the Portuguese to explore a new route. The Portuguese king realized the importance of discovering the southern tip of Africa and had hope in the east, so he named it the Cape of Good Hope. Diaz was honored by the king. In 1497, Dias was ordered by King Manuel I to lead four large ships on a voyage again. He circled the ancient coast of Africa, conducting colonial trade along the way and developing ports for gold export. On May 12, 1500, the fleet saw a comet at sea. Superstitious crews thought it was a harbinger of disaster, and they couldn't help but panic. It's no coincidence. On May 24, the fleet encountered an Atlantic hurricane on the ocean near the Cape of Good Hope. The four large ships were overturned by the sky-soaring waves, and Dias and his companions were buried at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. However, new shipping routes were opened, and Western colonial powers have since extended from Africa to Asia.