Magellanes

The journey of Ferdinand Magellan.

By Jimena Salgado
  • Aug 10, 1519

    Departure from Seville.

  • Period: Aug 10, 1519 to Sep 8, 1522

    Why the journey was important?

    The Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation was the first voyage around the world in human history. It was a Spanish expedition that sailed from Seville in 1519 under the command of Ferdinand Magellan in search of a maritime path from the Americas to East Asia across the Pacific Ocean. These men were the first to circumnavigate the globe in a single expedition.
  • 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. In command of the flagship, the nao Trinidad, was the Portuguese captain Fernando de Magallanes.
  • 1520

    Mutiny on Victoria, Concepcion and San Antonio; death of Louis de Mendoza. Later execution of de Quesada, marooning of de Cartagena. Alvaro de Mesquita becomes captain of San Antonio, Duarte Barbosa of Victoria.

  • 1520

    Encounters with the “Patagonian giants” (likely Tehuelche people).

  • 1520

    Arriving at the Cape of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, entry to what would be known as Strait of Magellan.

  • Mar 31, 1520

    Begin of the overwintering stay at Puerto San Julián.

  • Nov 28, 1520

    The fleet leaves the strait and enters the Pacific Ocean.

  • Mar 15, 1521

    Arrival of Magellan's expedition to one of the Philippine Islands and they then next dropped anchor at Homonhon, another small island in the province of Eastern Samar.

  • Death of Magellan participating in the Battle of Mactan.
    Apr 27, 1521

    Death of Magellan participating in the Battle of Mactan.

    Following Magellan's death in Mactan (Philippines) in 1521, Juan Sebastián Elcano took command of the ship Victoria, sailing from Borneo, the Spice Islands and back to Spain across the Indian Ocean, round the Cape of Good Hope and north along the west coast of Africa. They arrived in Spain three years after they left, in 1522.
  • May 2, 1521

    The ships sail to Mindanao and Brunei.

  • May 21, 1521

    The ship arrives in Spain.

  • Nov 8, 1521

    Arriving at Tidore in the Moluccas.

  • Dec 21, 1521

    Victoria under the command of Elcano leaves the Moluccas to return home sailing west towards the Cape of Good Hope. Trinidad remains at Tidore for repairs.

  • Jan 25, 1522

    Victoria reaches Timor and starts to cross the Indian Ocean.

  • Apr 6, 1522

    Trinidad under the command of Espinosa leaves the Moluccas heading home sailing east. After five weeks, Espinosa decides to return to the Moluccas where he and his ship are captured by a Portuguese fleet under Antonio de Brito.

  • May 22, 1522

    Victoria passes the Cape of Good Hope and enters the Atlantic Ocean.

  • Jul 9, 1522

    Reaching Santiago, Cape Verde.

  • Sep 6, 1522

    Victoria returns to Sanlucar, completing the circumnavigation.

  • Where and when the journey ended
    Sep 8, 1522

    Where and when the journey ended

    In December 1521, the Trinidad ship had a very difficult leak to fix and could not return. The Spanish sailor Juan Sebastián Elcano decided that he would return to Spain heading west instead of undoing the road.
    The return trip was long and with very harsh conditions. In the end, only 18 men arrived at the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, two years, eleven months, and two weeks after leaving the same place.
  • Sep 8, 1522

    Victoria arrives at Seville.