Cornelis de Houtman

Cornelis de Houtman was a Dutch merchant seaman who commanded the first Dutch expedition to the East Indies. Although the voyage was difficult and yielded only a modest profit, Houtman showed that the Portuguese monopoly on the spice trade was vulnerable. A flurry of Dutch trading voyages followed, eventually leading to the displacement of the Portuguese and the establishment of a Dutch monopoly on spice trading in the East Indies.

2 April 1565

Born on the same birth day (2 April): Abdelhak Nouri • Anthony Lake • Caroline Dean • David Frankel • Dmitry Lipartov • Donald Petrie • Dr. Demento • Gloria Henry • Hans Christian Andersen • Lynn Westmoreland • Richard Portman • Will Hoy • Yves Lavandier