Ferdinand Magellan

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Definition

Ferdinand Magellan, or Fernão de Magalhães (c. 1480-1521), was a Portuguese mariner whose expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe in 1519-22 in the service of Spain. Magellan was killed on the voyage in what is today the Philippines, and only 22 of the original 270 crew members made it back to Europe.

More about: Ferdinand Magellan

Timeline

  • c. 1480 - 1521
    Life of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.
  • c. 1480
    The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan is born in Villa Real in Tras os Montes.
  • c. 1492
    Ferdinand Magellan joins the royal Portuguese court as a page.
  • 1510
    Ferdianand Magellan assists in the establishment of Portuguese Goa.
  • 1511
    Ferdinand Magellan assists in the establishment of Portuguese Malacca in Malaysia.
  • 1513
    Ferdinand Magellan participates in the Portuguese expeditionary force that attacks Azemmour in Morroco.
  • 1517
    Ferdinand Magellan renounces his Portuguese citizenship and moves to Seville.
  • Mar 1518
    Charles I of Spain formally accepts the proposal of Ferdinand Magellan to sail to Asia via the Americas.
  • 1519 - 1522
    Ferdinand Magellan's expedition circumnavigates the globe for the first time.
  • 1519
    The carrack Victoria is launched in Gipzkoa in Spain. It will be the only ship of Ferdinand Magellan's fleet to circumnavigate the globe.
  • 10 Aug 1519
    Ferdinand Magellan's five-ship fleet leaves Seville to circumnavigate the globe.
  • 3 Oct 1519
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet leaves the Canary Islands.
  • Dec 1519
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet arrives in Rio de Janeiro.
  • 21 Mar 1520
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet winters at San Julián Bay in southern Argentina.
  • May 1520
    Santiago, a ship of Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet, is wrecked in a storm off the coast of Argentina.
  • 21 Oct 1520 - 28 Nov 1520
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet sails through the Straits of Magellan in Tierra del Fuego.
  • Nov 1520
    San Antonio, a ship in Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet, returns to Spain.
  • 18 Dec 1520
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet leaves the coast of South America near Santiago to cross the Pacific Ocean.
  • 24 Jan 1521
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet spots their first land after crossing the Pacific Ocean, an island they call San Pablo.
  • 4 Feb 1521
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet sails through Micronesia.
  • 6 Mar 1521
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet reachs the island of Guam in the Marianas group.
  • 7 Apr 1521
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet reaches the Philippine Islands.
  • 27 Apr 1521
    Ferdinand Magellan is killed in a battle on Cebu in the Philippines.
  • May 1521
    Concepción, a ship in Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet, is burned after being deemed unseaworthy.
  • Jul 1521
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet reaches Brunei.
  • 8 Nov 1521
    Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet reaches Tidore, one of the Spice Islands.
  • 21 Dec 1521
    Victoria, one of the two remaining ships of Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet, leaves the Spice Islands for home.
  • 6 Sep 1522
    Victoria, commanded by Juan Sebastian Elcano and the only surviving ship of the original five of Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet, returns to Spain.
  • Oct 1522
    Trinidad, the flagship of Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation fleet, is captured by the Portuguese in the Spice Islands and wrecked in a storm.
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