Magellan and his Voyage of Discovery - Part 1

Ferdinand Magellan (a Portuguese sea captain sailing for Spain) had an important goal when he left the port of Seville on the 10th of August, 1519:  Find a westward route to the Spice Islands.  He did not personally achieve that goal, but his crew (led by Juan Sebastian Elcano) did. 

Despite a grossly inaccurate map, and ubelievably wretched conditions aboard ship, remnants of Magellan's crew circumnavigated the world in a ship called Victoria.  Their expedition lasted about three years.

Magellan (1480-1521) never planned to sail around the globe.  His assignment (to reach the Spice Islands, also known as the Moluccas [or Maluku Islands], thereby proving they belonged to Spain) already had more-than-enough challenges. 

One of the most significant problems was to find a way (safer than sailing round Cape Horn) to reach the Pacific (via the Atlantic) Ocean.  In October of 1520, he and his men found such a passageway - between Chile and Tierra del Fuego - known today as the Strait (or Straits) of Magellan. 

A month later - on the 28th of November, 1520 - Magellan's expedition reached the Pacific Ocean.  Because the water seemed so calm (especially compared to the Atlantic), Magellan gave the vast body of water a name which means "peaceful sea."

Five ships originally began the expedition - Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepción, Victoria and Santiago - but only Victoria made it back to the starting point.

See, also:

Magellan and his Voyage of Discovery - Part 2

Magellan and his Voyage of Discovery - Part 3

Magellan and his Voyage of Discovery - Part 4

Magellan and his Voyage of Discovery - Part 5

Credits

Clip from "Voyages of Discovery:  Circumnavigation," produced for the BBC.

Paul Rose (former ten-year base commander of the British Rothera research station in Antarctica) presents the unimaginable story of Ferdinand Magellan and his crew (as they attempt to find a westward passage to the Spice Islands), in "Voyages of Discovery - Circumnavigation." 

Directed by Sean Smith; written by Chris Bould.

Clip online, courtesy BBC.