portuguese explorer who rounded the tip of africa

The Portuguese explorer who first rounded the tip of Africa, known as the Cape of Good Hope, was Bartolomeu Dias. He accomplished this feat in 1488, becoming the first European navigator to sail around the southernmost point of Africa, which demonstrated the possibility of a sea route from Europe to Asia. Initially, Dias named the cape the "Cape of Storms" due to the rough seas, but it was later renamed by King John II to the "Cape of Good Hope" because it symbolized the opening of a sea route to India and the East. This voyage was significant as it paved the way for later explorers, including Vasco da Gama, to reach India by sea.