Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese: Fernão de Magalhães, circa 1470-April 27, 1521) was a Portuguese sea explorer that worked for Spain. 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 Indonesia, and in his last voyage he reached the same longitude from the opposite direction.

Born into the nobility as Fernão de Magalhães (or Magalhãens), he was raised a page at the royal court of King John II of Portugal 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 from San Lucar de Barrameda trying to find a western path to the Mollucas. 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. Magellan named the waters the Pacific Ocean because of their apparent stillness.

Three ships were left now (one was lost in Patagonia, and Estevan Gomez returned with one from the Straits), crossed the Pacific and on March 6, 1521 found the Marianas and on March 16 the Philippines. Magellan died on April 27, at the Battle of Mactan

Only one of the ships (Victoria, commanded by Sebastian Elcano) returned, on September 6, 1522.