Those who are interested in the history of circumnavigation know well who Ferdinand Magellan is. This Portuguese navigator and explorer, who dreamed of the ocean from a young age, entered history as the organizer of the first circumnavigation of the globe. As he prepared for this journey, he was not entirely confident about the successful outcome of his adventures, and the idea of a spherical Earth was merely a hypothesis for him. Nevertheless, the expedition ended successfully, proving that the Earth is indeed round. Unfortunately, the organizer of this monumental event did not live to see his return home, as he died along the way. However, before his death, he was able to confirm his assumption.
Ferdinand Magellan: Biography
It is often the case that the exact time and place of birth of famous individuals remain elusive. The true dates in the biography of this great navigator have not reached us, and many facts about his life are based solely on scholars’ conjectures.
Childhood and Youth
Historians assert that Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480. There is some debate regarding the exact date of his birth. Some scholars claim it was October 17, while others suggest October 20.
The location of his birth is also uncertain. According to some accounts, the future explorer grew up in the Portuguese village of Sabrosa, while others claim it was in the city of Porto in the same country. There is very little information about his parents; it is known only that they belonged to the nobility but had modest means. His father, Rodrigo, served as an alcalde (a public official who performed judicial, financial, and administrative functions), but there are no details about what his mother, Alda de Mesquita, did.
In addition to Ferdinand, the family raised four other children. When he turned 12, he was sent to serve at the court of the Portuguese Queen Leonor of Aviz, where he remained until he was 24. Instead of mastering the basics of court ceremonies and taking fencing lessons, the young page was fascinated by the exact sciences. In his free time, he would hide in his room studying cosmography, astronomy, and navigation.
Ferdinand Magellan: The Years of Exploration
By the time Ferdinand turned 25, Portugal had opened a sea route to India. This occurred in 1498, and it was then that Magellan decided to leave the royal court and volunteer for naval service.
After serving for five years, he attempted to return to his homeland, but due to certain circumstances, he had to remain in India. For his bravery and courage, the command awarded Magellan the rank of officer. Additionally, he earned great respect among the military.
Unfortunately, when he returned to Lisbon in 1512, he did not receive recognition in his homeland. Moreover, during the suppression of a rebellion in Morocco, he sustained a severe leg injury, which left him permanently limping. This injury led to his resignation from naval service.
Portrait of Ferdinand Magellan by an unknown artist, 16th-17th century
Ferdinand Magellan – Circumnavigation
After leaving the service, he began studying the secret archives of the King of Portugal, where he discovered an ancient map by a certain Martin Waldseemüller that piqued his interest. To his surprise, he found a strait connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the then-unknown South Sea. This sparked his desire to embark on a circumnavigation to explore the so-called blank spots on the map.
After securing a personal audience with the king, he requested permission to conduct a maritime expedition. However, the Portuguese ruler denied him, citing Magellan’s unauthorized participation in suppressing the Moroccan rebellion. Furthermore, the king was sending ships to India around Africa and saw no profit in Magellan’s proposal.
Offended by the king’s anger and refusal, Ferdinand traveled to Spain, where he purchased a house. The idea of embarking on a circumnavigation did not leave him, and he continually worked on resolving this issue.
It is worth noting that during that time, spices were highly valued in European countries—worth their weight in gold. They were not grown in those regions, and Arabs charged exorbitant prices for them. Wealthy individuals were even jokingly referred to as “bags of pepper.” Thus, Magellan decided to base his proposal on the necessity of discovering the shortest sea route to Indian spices. He approached the “Contracting Chamber” in Spain but was again met with refusal. A local con artist, a certain Juan de Aranda, promised to unofficially assist the navigator but requested a 20% cut of the future profits.
However, Ferdinand declined this offer, as with the help of his friend, an astronomer and expert in astrology and cartography, Rui Faleiro, he negotiated a much more favorable deal, promising only 8% of the profits. The agreement was notarized. Additionally, the King of Spain granted permission for the expedition, wishing to prove that the islands where nutmeg and other spices grew belonged to Spain, not Portugal. The official document for the journey was signed on March 22, 1518.
Five ships were prepared for the expedition, each stocked with provisions for two years. The names of the ships were as follows:
- “Trinidad”;
- “San Antonio”;
- “Concepción”;
- “Victoria”;
- “Santiago”.
The flagship was “Trinidad,” which Magellan commanded. João Serrão became the captain of “Santiago.” Unfortunately, Magellan’s friend, astronomer Rui Faleiro, could not join the expedition as he fell into madness just before the journey. The other three ships were led by representatives of the Spanish nobility, who were dissatisfied with having to obey a Portuguese. They often refused to follow Ferdinand’s orders, provoking conflicts on board. Moreover, Magellan did not disclose the route of the circumnavigation or his plans, which raised their suspicions. Despite the Spanish king’s orders to obey Ferdinand, they secretly decided to eliminate him at the first opportunity.
The journey began on September 20, 1519. The crew consisted of 256 sailors, and the fleet set sail from the port of Sanlúcar toward the Canary Islands.
Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition passed through Tenerife, then to Brazil, and finally reached the bay of Rio de Janeiro. By the end of March, they arrived at the port of St. Julian. There, a major scandal erupted between the Portuguese and Spanish captains. Magellan ordered one of them stripped of his captaincy and sent another ashore. On August 24, 1520, one of the ships, “Santiago,” was wrecked.
The remaining ships continued along the eastern coast of South America in search of the South Sea. Magellan and his crew became the first discoverers of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the southern part of the continent. The explorer believed this group of islands belonged to the unknown Southern Land. They appeared uninhabited, but at night the sailors saw lights there. Ferdinand thought they were the result of volcanic eruptions, which is why he gave the islands their fiery name. In reality, they were indigenous people tending to their fires.
Map of Magellan’s journey and its conclusion 16 months after his death by the ship “Victoria,” one of the five vessels that began the voyage
Next, Ferdinand Magellan’s first circumnavigation passed between Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Through the strait now known as the Magellan Strait, the sailors entered the waters of the Pacific Ocean. During the passage through the strait, another ship, “San Antonio,” was wrecked, leaving only three vessels in the expedition.
The expedition in the Pacific Ocean began on November 28. Living conditions for the sailors were horrific, as their supplies of drinking water were running low, and many of their food supplies were spoiled by rats: sailors had to consume leather ship rigging. The fleet sailed along the coast of Chile before turning northeast. On January 24, 1521, the crew managed to land on the Mariana Islands.
Later, on March 9, the expedition headed toward the islands that would later be known as the Philippines. Two months later, the great explorer was no more. The remnants of his crew, consisting of 18 sailors, returned to Spain aboard the ship “Victoria,” having spent 1,081 days on their circumnavigation.
Magellan in the strait that would later bear his name
How Ferdinand Magellan Died
Magellan and his crew were the first Europeans to set foot on the island of Homonhon. His conversation with the indigenous people was peaceful, and over time he managed to convert the island’s ruler and his wife to Christianity. Under Magellan’s influence, the ruler ordered all his vassals to assist the expedition with provisions and also to accept Christianity.
Most of the chiefs complied with his order, but one of them, Lapu-Lapu, the ruler of the island of Mactan, refused to submit to the Europeans. The chief suggested that Magellan go to the turbulent island and force Lapu-Lapu to surrender.
Magellan agreed, believing he could persuade the chief through words. However, Lapu-Lapu showed aggression, and the navigator decided to intimidate him. He set fire to several houses in the village, but this only angered the indigenous people. They lured him into the thicket, and when the powder in his pistol ran out, they attacked Magellan, wounding him with poisoned arrows. For the explorer’s body, the sailors offered as many goods as the indigenous people desired. However, they never returned it.
In conclusion, here are some of Ferdinand Magellan’s greatest achievements:
- He discovered the strait that was later named after him.
- He was the first European captain to successfully sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
- Another discovery of Ferdinand Magellan was the Philippine Islands.
- He was the first to circumnavigate the globe.
Ferdinand Magellan: Interesting Facts
- In just five years, the navigator rose from a common soldier to a man whose opinion was respected by the viceroy himself.
- Thanks to him, we now have the name Pacific Ocean—because his fleet traveled 17,000 kilometers in its waters without encountering a single storm.
- Ferdinand Magellan’s significant geographical discoveries include the Mariana Islands, which he called “thieving” because the locals would rob ships under the guise of trade.
- The Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan made his discoveries under the Spanish flag—because the king of his country refused to support him despite all his merits.
- He left no descendants, although he was married and deeply loved his wife. His son died before reaching one year old. Later, during her second childbirth, his wife also passed away.
- His name is honored by one of the craters on the Moon, a spacecraft, and two galaxies.
Someone once said that the brave do not die in their warm beds. Yet they often do not live very long, especially from the perspective of contemporaries—what is 41 years? But imagine if Magellan had never existed—how impoverished would the history of humanity be! Of course, someone else would have discovered the strait later. But we all remember the “butterfly effect,” don’t we?