The Magellan–Elcano Circumnavigation

What happened

In 1519 the Portuguese mariner Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain with five ships to reach Asia by sailing west around the Americas. He found the strait that now bears his name and crossed the Pacific, but was killed in the Philippines in 1521. Under Juan Sebastián Elcano, a single battered ship, the Victoria, struggled home in 1522 — the first vessel ever to sail around the world.

Why it matters

The first circumnavigation proved beyond doubt that the Earth's oceans form a single connected globe, and it remains among the greatest feats of seamanship in history.

Sources

• The Mariners' Museum — Ages of Exploration. Ferdinand Magellan · Reputable source