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27 April 1521Reputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented

Magellan Is Killed at Mactan

The expedition's own commander does not survive to complete the voyage he organized

On the timeline · around 27 April 1521 · Conquest and CircumnavigationConquest and CircumnavigationA Connected WorldMagellan Is Killed at Mactan15201525153015351540

Quick facts

Location
Mactan Island, Philippines
Opponent
Chief Datu Lapu-Lapu
Spanish force
About 60 men
Date of death
27 April 1521

What happened

After crossing the Pacific, Magellan's fleet reached the Philippines, where Magellan worked to convert local rulers to Christianity. Chief Datu Lapu-Lapu of Mactan Island refused conversion, and Magellan led about 60 men to attack Mactan despite facing a much larger force of roughly 1,500 defenders. Magellan was killed in the fighting on 27 April 1521. The surviving ships, the Trinidad and the Victoria, pressed on to the Spice Islands without him.

Why it matters

Magellan's death meant he did not live to complete the circumnavigation his own expedition would finish without him. Command passed to his officers, and the survivors' choice to continue rather than turn back is what let the voyage still achieve its goal.

How we know

The Mariners' Museum's Ages of Exploration entry on Magellan describes the confrontation at Mactan, the mismatched force sizes, and Magellan's death in the battle.

Sources

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Part of a timelineThe Age of Exploration27 events · How Portuguese and Spanish voyages connected the world's oceans between 1415 and 1600, and what that connection cost the people already living thereView all →
Magellan Is Killed at Mactan · The Age of Exploration · SourcedStory