Ferdinand Magellan

  • What happened to Magellan
    1519

    What happened to Magellan

    One of the greatest explorers of the Age of Discovery, Ferdinand Magellan is best known for leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe. However, he personally did not complete the route and perished in the South Pacific. A determined man, he overcame personal obstacles, riots, unknown seas, hunger and biting malnutrition, during the course of his journey. Today, its name is synonymous with discovery and exploration.
  • Why the journey was important
    1519

    Why the journey was important

    The expedition of Magellan and Elcano was a 16th century maritime expedition financed by the Spanish Crown and led by Fernando de Magallanes. This expedition, under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano on his return, completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth in history.
  • Where and when the journey began
    Sep 20, 1519

    Where and when the journey began

    On September 20, 1519, a fleet made up of five ships and 250 men left the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in southern Spain, towards the Atlantic. He was in command of the flagship, the nao Trinidad, was the Portuguese captain Fernando de Magallanes.
  • Where and when the journey ended
    Nov 1, 1520

    Where and when the journey ended

    He ended up being approached by the Portuguese in the Moluccas, with seventeen surviving sailors, after unsuccessfully attempting to return from the east across the Pacific. His crew rose up in the Strait of Magellan on November 1, 1520 and returned to Seville on May 6, 1521.
  • The places they traveled to
    1521

    The places they traveled to

    The main destination of this great trip was not to go around the world, but to reach the Spice Islands -or the Moluccas Islands, in Indonesia- and its riches by the western route, which was what Christopher Columbus had intended when he found himself with the American continent.