1488
1488 is the year Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1488 fits
Why 1488 is special
He proved the Atlantic and Indian Oceans connected, which made the sea route to Asia possible. His crew forced him to turn back before reaching India, and Vasco da Gama completed the route a decade later.
Same number, different meanings
How 1488 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
He proved the Atlantic and Indian Oceans connected, which made the sea route to Asia possible. His crew forced him to turn back before reaching India, and Vasco da Gama completed the route a decade later.
- History
In 1488, Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope, opening the sea route to the Indian Ocean (Southern Africa).
- Geography
Dias rounded the Cape in 1488 and was compelled by his crew to return before reaching India. He had established the route's existence, and da Gama used that knowledge to complete it in 1498.
1488 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (20)
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 31, 48, 62, 93, 124, 186, 248, 372, 496, 744, 1488
- Prime factorisation
- 2^4 × 3 × 31
- Digit sum
- 21
- Digital root
- 3
Representations
- Decimal
- 1488
- Scientific notation
- 1.488 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M C D L X X X V I I I
MCDLXXXVIII uses the subtractive pair CD: a hundred before five hundred — five hundred minus a hundred.
Binary
1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
1 × 1,024 + 0 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,488
Octal
2 7 2 0
2 × 512 + 7 × 64 + 2 × 8 + 0 × 1 = 1,488
Hexadecimal
5 d 0
5 × 256 + d × 16 + 0 × 1 = 1,488
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 256 + 128 + 64 + 16 = 1,488.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 4 coils of rope, 8 hobbles, 8 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 4 × 100 + 8 × 10 + 8 × 1 = 1,488. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 corner wedges + 4 vertical wedges (sixties place), 4 corner wedges + 8 vertical wedges (units place)
24 × 60 + 48 = 1488. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Abundant number
Related numbers & connections
1488 is a year in the 15th century, in the 1480s.
Numbers Around Us
- appears inHistorical years
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
History
In 1488, Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope, opening the sea route to the Indian Ocean (Southern Africa).
DocumentedHistoryGeography: Southern AfricaPeriod: 1488
Geography
Dias rounded the Cape in 1488 and was compelled by his crew to return before reaching India. He had established the route's existence, and da Gama used that knowledge to complete it in 1498.
DocumentedGeographyGeography: Portugal and southern AfricaPeriod: 1488
Common questions
Is 1488 a prime number?
No, 1488 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1488?
The factors of 1488 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 31, 48, 62, 93, 124, 186, 248, 372, 496, 744, 1488.
What is 1488 in Roman numerals?
1488 in Roman numerals is MCDLXXXVIII. CD is subtractive: a hundred before five hundred — five hundred minus a hundred. Written additively it would be MCCCCLXXXVIII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026