Important Events (Change it up, multiple people have received this)
(1497) 1. Vasco da Gama reaches Cape of Good Hope. He was able to sail around the tip of Africa, and which was known for being a very dangerous area to sail around at the time of his voyage. Columbus believed that his route was still safer and better for reaching East Asia. However, Vasco da Gama proved it was actually possible to sail to Asia this way, and it gave the Portuguese an advantage for setting up trade ports in Asia.
(1472) 2. Portugal reaches Benin. There were resources like bronze and the Portuguese decided to set up trading ports. It was a success after multiple failed attempts to reach West Africa. Over time, they got all the way down to Benin. This was a huge mark because a fair amount of Europeans were scared of sailing down the African coast.
(1492) 3. Columbus' voyage's importance can't be understated. By reaching the New World and its resources, it immediately sparked European interest. After more expeditions from multiple explorers, the Europeans realized the New World had plenty of land and resources to offer the mother country. This led to the age of colonization.
(1517) 4. Luther seperates from the Catholic Church. Luther mainly disagreed with the Catholic church's view of having priests being the only people to interpret the bible. Due to many more disputes and issues, Luther decided to seperate from the Catholics to form Protestantism. Spain was already having issues trying to convert the Native Americans into Catholicism, and this gave them another thing to worry about, especially when England eventually adopted Protestantism.
(1521) 5. Cortes conquers the Aztecs. By conquering one of the most feared Empires in the New World, the Spanish expressed their dominance. The diseases they brought along weakened their remaining foes, and allowed the Spanish to begin their colonization in the New World.