Answer:
Vasco de Gama was the European whose travels first provoked the Western European curiosity for exploration and expansion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to ever reach India by sea. He was born in the Portuguese city of Sines and was the son of a man who served a knight for the king of Portugal. In 1497 Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon on a mission to reach to India in order to open a trade route between Europe and the East and in May of 1498 the explorer reached the port of Calicut, India. This trip made Vasco da Gama a hero back at his home as his trip was a historical event for both navigation as well as a major success for Portugal and the rest of Europe, who became curious for exploration, expansion and later on colonizing exotic regions.