- Magellan, detail of a painting by an unknown artist; in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence
(1480?–1521). A Portuguese navigator and explorer, Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean. From Spain he sailed around the tip of South America, discovering the Strait of Magellan, and then across the Pacific. He is especially famous because the voyage he started was the first to go all the way around the world. Childhood and early careerFerdinand Magellan was born in Portugal in about 1480. He was the son of Portuguese nobility. At an early age he became an attendant to the Portuguese queen. As a young man Magellan fought for Portugal in India and Morocco. After returning home in 1514, he was disappointed that he received no personal rewards for his efforts. The Portuguese king told Magellan to offer his services elsewhere. In 1517 Magellan offered his services to the ruler of Spain. Sailing for SpainIn 1493 the pope declared that all new territories discovered east of a particular line were to be assigned to Portugal while all that lay to the west would be assigned to Spain. The Portuguese believed that all the islands of the Far East lay in their part of the world. By sailing west, Magellan hoped to prove that many of these islands actually belonged to Spain. The disputed territory included the Spice Islands, or the Moluccas, which were prized because at the time spices were very valuable. Magellan believed he would discover a strait at the southern tip of America that would allow him to reach the Moluccas. After getting approval from the Spanish king, Magellan set sail from Spain in 1519 with five ships. He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and down the coast of South America. In October 1520 he entered the passage that proved to be the strait he was seeking. Later it was named after him. Crossing of the PacificOn November 28 Magellan reached the ocean that the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa had discovered seven years earlier. He named it the Pacific Ocean because the water was calm. After a month of sailing on the Pacific, the crew's supply of food and water ran low. They were so hungry that they ate leather off parts of the ship. After about 100 days the fleet finally arrived at the island of Guam. Days later Magellan sailed to the islands later called the Philippines. On the island of Cebú, he converted the ruler and his chief followers to Christianity. On April 27, 1521, however, Magellan was killed in a fight with the people of nearby Mactan Island. After Magellan's death, two of his ships sailed on to the Moluccas. One of them made it back to Spain on September 8, 1522. After a three-year voyage, it had circled the globe. |