Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese sea explorer, born c. 1470, died 1521. He was the first to sail from Europe westwards to Asia, and he named the Pacific Ocean. He is also remembered as the first to circumnavigate the globe, although not in a single voyage: in an early voyage he sailed to the Moluccas, which he reached again from the opposite direction during his last voyage.

His Portuguese name was Fernão de Magalhães (or Magelhaens), born into the nobility, he was raised a page at the royal court of king John II and queen Eleonora. At age 20 he was sent to India, to viceroy Francisco de Almeida for military training, where geography caught his interest. Returning from India, he was sent to Morocco, where he fought in the battle of Azamor and wounded his knee. In 1512 he returned again to Portugal, and stayed at the royal court of king Emanuel, but left after a dispute and offered his services instead to Spain's king (and Holy Roman emperor) Charles V.

On September 20, 1519, Magellan, commander of a fleet of five Spanish ships, sailed från San Lucar de Barrameda trying to find a western path to the Moluk islands (sp?). After spending winter in Puerto San Julian in Patagonia (Argentina), on October 21, 1520 they sailed through what is now known as the Strait of Magellan entering the South Pacific on November 28, which Magellan named the Pacific Ocean because of its apparent stillness.

Three ships were left now (one was lost in Patagonia, and Gomez returned with one from the Straits), crossed the Pacific and on March 6, 1521 found the Marianas and soon thereafter the Philippines. In a local battle on one of the islands, Magellan died on April 27, 1521.

Only one of the ships returned, on September 6, 1522.