Did Magellan Sail Around The World?

Magellan was a Spanish explorer and sailor and led a famous expedition around the world. In the early 16th century, on his expedition, which is considered one of the great discoveries of Europe, he sailed around the world, making many discoveries. In this article, we’ll trace Magellan’s worldwide expedition and whether he sailed around the world.

As a known, Ferdinand Magellan was an explorer and sailor in service of King Charles I of Spain. His goal was to sail across the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and reach the Moluk Islands. He decided to use this route in order to control Spain’s spice trade in Asia.

Magellan’s fleet left Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, on September 5, 1519. The fleet advanced as far as the Strait of Magellan on the southern tip of South America. After completing the passage of the strait, they continued to advance to open up to the Pacific Ocean.

There were many ships in the fleet, but they faced many dangerous cases. Throughout their journey, they were exposed to many hardships, including starvation, disease, and rebellions of crew members. However, the fleet continued its journey thanks to Magellan’s leadership.

Magellan, during the journey, was killed in a shootout in the Philippines. But, the remaining fleet members continued the voyage, reaching the Moluk Islands, from where they set out to reach the Spice Islands. Then, Magellan’s fleet eventually returned to Spain.

Although this worldwide expedition did not exactly circumnavigate the globe, it is considered an important worldwide expedition. Magellan’s journey was not made to complete the world map and measure the distance around the Earth, but this journey is considered by historians to be an crucial step on the exploration of the world.

The voyage of Magellan is considered an important turning point in the history of geographical discoveries. For the first time, a maritime team sailed across the southern tip of South America to the Pacific Ocean. This helped to draw the world map more accurately and to better understand the true size of the world.

In addition, Magellan’s expedition played an important role in world trade and economy. Spain, which controlled the spice trade by reaching the Moluk Islands, gained great prosperity thanks to this expedition. This voyage is an important event for understanding how world trade has shaped and developed in the modern era.

However, Magellan’s journey also caused a great loss of people. During the voyage, many crew members died of starvation, disease, and clashes between the crew. Although they set out with a fleet of 240 people, the journey was completed with 18 crew members. İn addition, the death of Magellan in the conflict in the Philippines was a adverse side of the journey.

As a result, Magellan’s worldwide expedition is considered an significant turning point in history. Although he did not fully circumnavigate the Earth, his journey holds an important place in the history of world exploration. This journey helped to draw the world map more accurately, to understand how world trade has shaped in the modern era, and to consider it an crucial step in the history of geographical discoveries.

Resources:

“The First Voyage Around the World”, Antonio Pigafetta

“Magellan’s Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First Circumnavigation”, Laurence Bergreen

“Magellan: Over the Edge of the World”, Laurence Bergreen

“Ferdinand Magellan”, History.com

“Ferdinand Magellan”, Encyclopedia Britannica