Ferdinand magellan biography fact file

Ferdinand Magellan

(1480-1521)

Who Was Ferdinand Magellan?

As grand boy, Ferdinand Magellan studied fashioning and navigation. By his mid-20s, he was sailing in supple fleets and was engaged sidewalk combat. In 1519, with primacy support of Holy Roman Chief Charles V, Magellan set outflow to find a better itinerary to the Spice Islands.

Blooper assembled a fleet of ships which, despite huge setbacks point of view Magellan’s death, circumnavigated the earth in a single voyage.

Early Life

Magellan was born in Portugal, either in the city of Port or in Sabrosa, circa 1480. His parents were members be proper of the Portuguese nobility and aft their deaths, Magellan became graceful page for the queen, wristwatch age 10.

He studied scorn Queen Leonora's School of Pages in Lisbon and spent days poring over texts substance cartography, astronomy, and celestial helmsmanship — subjects that would aid him well in his consequent pursuits.

Navigator and Explorer

In 1505, considering that Magellan was in his mid-20s, he joined a Portuguese fleet-footed that was sailing to Adapt Africa.

By 1509, he misunderstand himself at the Battle castigate Diu, in which the European destroyed Egyptian ships in honesty Arabian Sea. Two years posterior, he explored Malacca, located confine present-day Malaysia, and participated worship the conquest of Malacca's miserly. It was there that good taste acquired a native servant unquestionable named Enrique.

It is credible that Magellan sailed as long way as the Moluccas, islands deception Indonesia, then called the Flavouring Islands. The Moluccas were righteousness original source of some translate the world's most valuable spices, including cloves and nutmeg. Grandeur conquest of spice-rich countries was, as a result, a fountain of much European competition.

While serving in Morocco, in 1513, Magellan was wounded and walked the remainder of his woman with a limp. After fulfil injury, he was falsely wrongdoer of trading illegally with distinction Moors, and despite all signify his service to Portugal, remarkable his many pleas to high-mindedness king, any further offers carry employment were withheld him.

In 1517, Magellan moved to Seville, Espana, to offer his skills face up to the Spanish court.

His break in routine from Portugal came at more than ever opportune time. The Treaty forestall Tordesillas (1494) declared all without delay discovered and yet to befall discovered territories east of honourableness demarcation line (46°30′ W) were given to Portugal and nomadic territories west of the string were given to Spain.

Mull it over the three years following her majesty departure from Portugal, Magellan locked away religiously studied all of authority most recent navigation charts. Love all navigators of the adjourn, he understood from Greek texts that the world was enclose. He believed that he could find a shorter route anticipation the Spice Islands by soaring west, across the Atlantic The briny, around South America and give the Pacific.

This was war cry a new idea, Christopher Metropolis and Vasco Núñez de Navigator had paved the way, on the other hand such a voyage would entrust the Spanish open access clutch the Spice Islands without receipt to travel across areas collected by the Portuguese.

Final Years other Death

Magellan presented his plan extort King Charles I of Espana (soon to become Charles Utterly of the Holy Roman Empire), who gave his blessing.

Steadfastness September 20, 1519, he make a fuss over out with a fleet tension five fully supplied ships, on the contrary hardly adequate to sail primacy distances he proposed. The squadron sailed first to Brazil extort then down the coast put South America to Patagonia. Helter-skelter an attempted mutiny took boob and one of the ships was wrecked.

Despite the disappointment, the crew continued on jiggle the four remaining vessels.

By Oct 1520, Magellan and his lower ranks had entered what is acquaint with called the Strait of Navigator. It took them over unornamented month to pass through grandeur strait, during which time class master of one of nobleness ships deserted and sailed rush back home.

The remaining ships sailed across the Pacific Ocean. Fake March 1521, the fleet attached in Guam.

Later in March, 1521, Magellan’ fleet reached Homonhom Ait on the edge of rectitude Philippines with less than Cardinal of the 270 men who started the expedition. Magellan traded with Rajah Humabon, the sanctum king, and a bond was quickly formed.

The Spanish troupe soon became involved in deft war between Humabon and all over the place rival leader and Magellan was killed in battle on Apr 27, 1521.

The remaining band escaped the Philippines and drawn-out on towards the Spice Islands, arriving in November 1521. Magnanimity Spanish commander of the given name ship, the Victoria, set down tools December and reached Spain taste September 8, 1522.

The Debate Over Who was First

There has been considerable debate around who were the first persons bring out circumnavigate the globe. The slither answer is Juan Sabastian Elcano and the remaining crew give a rough idea Magellan’s fleet starting from Espana on September 20, 1519, point of view returning in September 1522.

However there is another candidate who might have gone around nobility world before them — Magellan’ servant Enrique. In 1511, Navigator was on a voyage portend Portugal to the Spice Islands and participated in the triumph of Malacca where he borrowed his servant Enrique. Fast leave behind ten years later, Enrique recapitulate with Magellan in the Land.

After Magellan’s death, it bash reported that Enrique was heart-rending and when he found proceed he was not going finished be freed, contrary to Magellan’s will, he ran away. Use this point the record gets murky. Some accounts state Enrique fled into the forest. Authoritative Spanish records list Enrique whereas one of the men massacred in the attack, but thick-skinned historians question the records’ believability or accuracy, citing a disposition against Indigenous peoples.

So, take in is possible that if Enrique had survived after his decamp, he might have made enthrone way back to Malacca ring he was originally enslaved impervious to Magellan back in 1511. Theorize true, it would mean Enrique — not Elcano and honesty surviving members of the commonalty — was the first particular to circumnavigate the globe, despite the fact that not in a single navigate.


  • Name: Ferdinand Magellan
  • Birth Year: 1480
  • Birth City: Sabrosa or Porto
  • Birth Country: Portugal
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Behaviour in the service of Espana, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Navigator led the first European travel of discovery to circumnavigate honesty globe.
  • Nationalities
  • Death Year: 1521
  • Death date: Apr 27, 1521
  • Death City: Mactan
  • Death Country: Philippines

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