Ferdinand Magellan World Explorer Ferdinand Magellan 1480 1521

Ferdinand Magellan World Explorer

Ferdinand Magellan (1480 -1521) was a Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition that sailed around the Earth (1519 -1522). n Magellan also named the Pacific Ocean. The name means a calm, peaceful ocean. n

Early Life Magellan was born in Northern Portugal. n His parents were members of the nobility. n They were wealthy and powerful. n

Early Life Early in his career, Magellan sailed to India and to the Far East many times around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. n He sailed for his native Portugal, but a dispute with the Portuguese King Manoel II turned him against the Portuguese. n Thereafter, he sailed for Spain. n

A New Route to Asia Magellan proposed to King Charles V of Spain that a westward voyage around the tip of South America would take them to Asia. n The voyage began September 8, 1519. n Magellan sailed from Seville, Spain, with five ships, the Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria, and Santiago. n

A Long Journey For months Magellan sailed up rivers into the middle of South America looking for a quick route to the Pacific. n Each time he failed to find a water route. n In the fall of 1520, three of Magellan’s ships sailed through what is now called the Strait of Magellan, near the tip of South America. n

A Difficult Journey After crossing the Strait of Magellan, the ships sailed across the Pacific. n As the months passed, their food spoiled. n They ate biscuits crawling with worms, and drank yellow water. n They ate rats, sawdust, and leather. n

A Difficult Journey Many sailors died of hunger. n Others died of scury, a sickness caused by not getting enough vitamin C, which is found in fruits and vegetables. n Dead sailors were tossed in the ocean. n Sharks followed the ships. n

Land Spotted In March 1521 the ships reached the Philippine Islands. n Magellan and his remaining crew stayed in the Philippines for several weeks. n Magellan was killed towards the end of the voyage in the Philippines, during a battle with the natives. n

A Proven Theory Three years later in Sept. 1522, only one ship - the Victoria - made it back to Spain, carrying only 18 of the original 270 crew members. n What Columbus believed was finally proven true. n Europeans could reach Asia by sailing west but first they had to go around the Americas. n