Magellan facts

June 28, 2012 | In: Famous Explorers, Geography Facts, People facts

I guess you all heard about Magellan. But did you know that his last name was Ferdinand?

The first thing that gets through your mind when you hear that name is that Stretch in South America. Ferdinand Magellan (Spring 1480 – April 27, 1521) was a Portuguese sea explorer who sailed for Spain. He was the first to sail from Europe westwards to Asia, the first European to sail the Pacific Ocean, and the first to lead an expedition for the purpose of circumnavigating the globe. He actually died before the trip ended. But let’s say he led the first expedition around the world. Ferdinand’s journey around the world began September of 1519 in Spain and would end in the Spice Islands.

Besides this remarkable adventure, he discovered something that many people believed in, and were even killed for. He found out that the world was not flat.

Even the Pacific Ocean was named after him. After sailing all around the world, he said that those were the friendliest waters.

Magellan was a very religious person, and so, he sold many of his things and gave the money to monks to pray for his success.

Did you know that most of his crew was made from prisoners who had to be freed after the expedition ended? That was the bargain at the beginning. The crew left with two hundred and forty men that day but only eighteen survived the trip. Ferdinand was not one of them.

Another interesting thing is the fact that Ferdinand Magellan made the voyage possible because he convinced the teenager king that some of the Spice Islands were in some of the undiscovered world.