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Ferdinand Magellan

Who was the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe and cross the Pacific Ocean? Ferdinand Magellan did it on his famous voyage in search of a westward route to the Moluccas (now Melaka). This is one of the greatest Portuguese explorers to ever sail the ocean. Ferdinand Magellan was born in about 1480 in Sabrosa of a noble family, and he spent his years as a court page. He ran errands and helped out with general chores but he was still looking for something more. He wanted to see the world and find out what there was to explore. In 1506 he went to the East Indies, participating in many military and exploratory expeditions in Malacca and the Moluccas, know as the Spice Islands, and by 1510 he had been promoted to the rank of captain. He returned to Portugal in 1512 and in 1513 was stationed in Morocco, where he got wounds that maimed him for life. He requested an increase in his royal allowance but was rejected by Emanuel, king of Portugal, who didn't agree with Magellan's plan to find a westward route to the Moluccas. This made Magellan renounce his Portuguese nationality. In 1517 he offered his services to the king of Spain, Charles I (later Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). With his good salesmanship skills, Magellan convinced Charles to fund the expedition to find a westward route to the Moluccas. If Magellan could reach the Moluccas from the West, Spain's wealth would surpass all other countries. On September 20,1519 Magellan started his great journey to the Moluccas from Sanlucar de Barrameda with five ships. In November of that year he reached South America. In February 1520 he explored the Rio de la Plata estuary, and on March 31, 1520 his fleet put in to port at San Julian. His fleet remained there for six months because of disease and complications. One ship was wrecked causing a mutiny. After the mutiny had been settled, Magellan sailed the passage to the Pacific Ocean named after him, the Strait of Magellan, losing another ship by desertion, en route. After 38 days and traveling 330 miles, on November 28, 1520, his three great ships sailed into the ocean, which Magellan named "Pacific" because it was so calm. He reached the Marianas, or Ladrone, Islands on March 6, 1521, and ten days later he discovered the Philippines. He landed on the island of Cebu on April 7. There he made an alliance with the ruler of the island and agreed to help him attack the neighboring natives on the island of Mactan. Magellan was killed on April 27, 1521 during the Mactan expedition. What happens to the crew now that their leader is dead? A young Spanish navigator named Juan Sebastian del Cano takes over. Meanwhile two ships escaped and the other one was burned. The last ship, Victoria, was commanded by del Cano through the Cape of Good Hope route to Seville on September 6,1522. Although Magellan did not live to make the journey home he did circumnavigate the globe by passing the easternmost point he had visited on an earlier voyage. The cargo of spices brought back to Spain on the Victoria alone paid for the expenses of the Expedition. The passage through the Strait of Magellan was too long and difficult to be a practical trade route from Europe to the Moluccas, however, and Spain sold her interests there to Portugal. The voyage laid a foundation for trade in the Pacific between the New World and the East. Though Spain did not recognize the importance of the Philippines immediately, before the end of the century, Manila became the greatest Spanish trading center in the East. Ferdinand Magellan proved to the world and all those who rejected his ideas that one could circumnavigate the world. His discoveries and passages opened new doors to a larger world. He will always be remembered as the first man who sailed around the world.

Early Life
Hi, my name is Ferdinand Magellan. I was born in 1480 in northern Portugal. My parents died when I was only 10 years old. At the age of 12, I was appointed as the queen’s messenger in the royal court. Young boys were appointed as messenger as a source of education. At the court, I learned about many famous explorers and the most important information about navigating ships.

First Expedition
My first time at sea was in 1505 when I was 25 years old. I sailed with Francisco de Almedia, Portugal’s first admiral, and his fleet. In 1511, I went on an expedition to conquer Melaka. After our victory, a Portuguese fleet sailed to the Spice Islands (also known as the Moluccas Islands). Portugal claimed the islands at this time. One of my close friends, Francisco Serrao, went on the voyage and wrote to me. In his letters he described the route and the island of Ternate.

Planning for a Long Trip
Serrao’s letters helped build in my mind the location of the Spice Islands, which later became the destination for my great voyage. I asked the King of Portugal to support my journey, but he refused. After that, I begged the King of Spain to support my journey. He was interested in my plan since Spain was looking for a better sea route to Asia than the Portuguese route around the southern tip of Africa. It was going to be hard to find sailors, though. None of the Spanish sailors wanted to sail with me because I was Portuguese. I would have to take anybody who signed on, whether they were good seamen or not. Parts of my crew were prisoners, released from jail in return for sailing with me.

Journey Around the World
In September of 1519, my crew and I said our prayers and set sail for southern Spain with five ships—the Santiago, the San Antonio, the Conception, the Trinidad, and the Victoria. At first, all went well. Our small fleet sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and reached South America. We stocked up with goods and sailed down the coastline looking for a passage through this great continent. We just couldn’t find a route through South America! We sailed further and further south, sailing into every river and bay we came upon. The weather was getting colder, and we were running out of supplies. The crew revolted against the other captains and me. I had the men who started the mutiny hanged, and then we continued our journey. Finally, in October of 1520, we found a strait. I named it after myself, calling it the Strait of Magellan. It took 38 days to sail through the dangerous strait. We finally arrived at the ocean that Balboa had discovered several years before. I named it the Pacific Ocean because of its calm waters. We found ourselves sailing for weeks across this ocean with no sign of land. Our drinking water stunk and started to get slimy. My crew and I had to eat rats! Could you imagine eating a rat? Many of my crew suffered from scurvy. One of the other captains deserted me and sailed the San Antonio back to Spain. In March of 1521, we arrived in Guam, an island in the Pacific. From there, we headed for the Moluccas.

The End of My Days
I never made it to the Spice Islands. I was caught in a war in the Philippine islands. We faced a group of natives who killed me with a poisoned arrow in my foot and a spear through my heart. After I died, my crew burned my ship. Now only 3 ships remained. My body was left behind. Only two ships actually reached the Spice Islands because the Santiago was sunk in a storm. My crew loaded both ships with a rich cargo and headed for Spain. On the way home, the Portuguese who had claimed the Spice Islands captured the Trinidad. The Victoria was the only ship to make it safely back to Spain. Out of the five ships that began the journey, only one ship made the voyage around the world. Out of 250 men, only 18 survived…I was not one of them.

Map of Magellan's voyage around the world