Magellan Sails West: Quest to Circle the Globe
Ferdinand Magellan departed Sanlucar de Barrameda on September 20, 1519, with five ships and roughly 270 men, seeking a western route to the Spice Islands. He had defected from Portuguese service to Spain after King Manuel I refused to fund the expedition. The voyage was plagued by mutiny, scurvy, and starvation. Magellan discovered the strait that bears his name at the southern tip of South America, then crossed the Pacific, naming it for its deceptive calmness. He was killed in a skirmish with warriors on Mactan Island in the Philippines on April 27, 1521. His surviving crew, led by Juan Sebastian Elcano, limped home aboard the Victoria, completing the first circumnavigation of the Earth three years after departure.
September 20, 1519
507 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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