The

Magellan expedition The Magellan expedition, also known as the Magellan–Elcano expedition, was the first voyage around the world in recorded history. It was a 16th century Spanish expedition initially led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to the Moluccas ...

was the first voyage around the world in human history. It was a Spanish expedition that sailed from

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

in 1519 under the command of

Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the Eas ...

, a Portuguese explorer, who accepted to get Spanish citizenship to command the voyage, in search of a maritime path to

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both Geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The modern State (polity), states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. ...

through the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

and across the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

, and was concluded by Spanish navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano in 1522. Elcano and the 18 survivors of the expedition were the first men to circumnavigate the globe in a single expedition. Magellan Elcano Circumnavigation-en

The Spanish fleet, the ''Armada de Molucca'', that left Spain on 20 September 1519 consisted of five ships with 270 men: ''

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

'' under Magellan, Captain General; ''

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

'' under

Juan de Cartagena Juan de Cartagena (died c. 1520) was a Spanish accountant and captain of one of the five ships led by Ferdinand Magellan in his expedition of the first circumnavigation of the earth. Cartagena frequently argued with Magellan during the voyage and q ...

; '' Concepcion'' under Gaspar de Quesada; ''

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

'' under

João Serrão Juan Rodríguez Serrano, also known as João Rodrigues Serrão in the Portuguese version, ( Fregenal de la Sierra - Cebu, 1521) was a 16th-century Spanish navigator, born in Fregenal de la Sierra, Badajoz,''Auto das perguntas que se fizeram a do ...

; and ''

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

'' under

Luiz Mendoza Luis de Mendoza (died 2 April 1520) was a Spanish mariner and explorer. Biography Mendoza was a member of Magellan's circumnavigation of the world, the initial captain of the ''Victoria''. He was appointed by Charles I of Spain on March 30, 1 ...

. After crossing the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and wintering in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

the expedition navigated the

Straits of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural pas ...

, then crossed the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Following Magellan's death in

Mactan Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometers (~1 mile) east of Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu province and it is divided into the city of Lapu-Lapu and the municipality of Cordova. The island is sep ...

(

) in 1521,

Juan Sebastián Elcano Juan Sebastián Elcano (Elkano in modern Basque; sometimes given as ''del Cano''; 1486/1487Some sources state that he was born in 1476. Most of this sources try to make a point about him participating on a military campaign at the Mediterranean ...

took command of the ship ''Victoria'', sailing back to Spain across the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...

, round the Cape of Good Hope and north along the west coast of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. The circumnavigation was completed by Elcano and a crew of 18 men in ''Victoria'', returning to Spain nearly three years after they left on 6 September 1522.

Timeline

1494

The

Treaty of Jean Puma A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...

established approximate borders between the Spanish and Portuguese empires west of the Cape Verde islands. This imperial competition was to prove critical to the exploration and exploitation of the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

riches.

1514

Magellan was intent on finding a route to the

Spice Islands A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are ...

accused of unlawfully trading with the Moors, the Portuguese king denied Magellen permission to embark on Portuguese adventures

1518

Magellan moves to

, the Spanish gateway to the Indies, and seat of The

Casa de Contratación The ''Casa de Contratación'' (, House of Trade) or ''Casa de la Contratación de las Indias'' ("House of Trade of the Indies") was established by the Crown of Castile, in 1503 in the port of Seville (and transferred to Cádiz in 1717) as a cr ...

in order to sell his idea to King Charles I of Spain (later Emperor Charles V) and his consort Joanna I. The Spanish court, sitting at

Aranjuez Aranjuez () is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Community of Madrid. Located in the southern end of the region, the main urban nucleus lies on the left bank of Tagus, a bit upstream the discharge of the Jarama. , the municipality h ...

is convinced, and grants the adventurer Spanish nationality as well as allocating considerable resources for his expedition

1519

1519: Departure from

September 20: Departure from

Sanlúcar de Barrameda Sanlúcar de Barrameda (), or simply Sanlúcar, is a city in the northwest of Cádiz province, part of the autonomous community of Andalucía in southern Spain. Sanlúcar is located on the left bank at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River opposit ...

. September 26 - October 3: Stopping in the Canary Islands to take in provisions. November 29: Fleet reaches the vicinity of

Cape St. Augustine Cabo de Santo Agostinho (English: Cape of St. Augustine) is a 448 square kilometer sized municipality located 35 kilometers south of the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. It is believed by some historians that Vicente Yáñez Pinzón had set anc ...

. December 13: Entering the bay of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

. December 27: Departure from Rio de Janeiro.

1520

January 10: Cape Santa María. Severe storm then forces Magellan to reverse course and head north, toward Paranaguá Bay. January 12: Rio de la Plata February 3: the fleet resumes its southward course but ''San Antonio'' found to be leaking badly. Halted for repairs. February 5: Cape Corrientes February 24: San Matías Gulf February 27: Entering Bahia de los Patos. March 31: Beginning of the overwintering stay at

Puerto San Julián Puerto San Julián, also known historically as Port St. Julian, is a natural harbour in Patagonia in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina located at . In the days of sailing ships it formed a stopping point, south of Puerto Deseado (''Port Desir ...

. April 1 and 2: Mutiny on ''Victoria'', ''Concepcion'' and ''San Antonio''; death of Louis de Mendoza. Later execution of de Quesada, marooning of de Cartagena. Alvaro de Mesquita becomes captain of ''San Antonio'',

Duarte Barbosa Duarte Barbosa (c. 14801 May 1521) was a Portuguese writer and officer from Portuguese India (between 1500 and 1516). He was a Christian pastor and scrivener in a '' feitoria'' in Kochi, and an interpreter of the local language, Malayalam. Barbo ...

of ''Victoria''. End of April: ''Santiago'' is sent on a mission to find the passage. The ship is caught in a storm and wrecked. Survivors return to Puerto San Julián. Serrano (

) becomes captain of the ''Concepcion''. July: Encounters with the “

Patagonian giants The Patagones or Patagonian giants were a race of giant humans rumoured to be living in Patagonia and described in early European accounts. They were said to have exceeded at least double normal human height, with some accounts giving heights of ...

” (likely the

Tehuelche people The Tehuelche people, also called the Aónikenk, are an indigenous people from eastern Patagonia in South America. In the 18th and 19th centuries the Tehuelche were influenced by Mapuche people, and many adopted a horseriding lifestyle. Once a ...

). August 23 or 24: Fleet departs Puerto San Julián for Río Santa Cruz. October 18: Fleet leaves Santa Cruz. October 21: Arriving at the Cape of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, entry to what would be known as Strait of Magellan. End of October: ''San Antonio'', charged to explore Magdalen Sound, fails to return to the fleet, instead sails back to Spain under

Estêvão Gomes Estêvão Gomes, also known by the Spanish version of his name, Esteban Gómez (c. 1483 – 1538), was a Portuguese cartography, cartographer and explorer. He sailed at the service of Crown of Castile, Castile (Spain) in the fleet of Ferdinand M ...

who imprisoned captain de Mesquita. The ship arrives in Spain on May 21, 1521. November 28: The fleet leaves the strait and enters the Pacific Ocean. When out in the Pacific some of the crew get

scurvy Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...

1521

January 24/25-28: Landfall on an uninhabited island, which Magellan names St Paul's (probably

Puka-Puka Puka-Puka is a small coral atoll in the north-eastern Tuamotu Archipelago, sometimes included as a member of the Disappointment Islands. This atoll is quite isolated, the nearest land being Fakahina, 182 km to the southwest. Puka-Puka Ato ...

). They stay for a few days before continuing on. March 6: Arrival at

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

and encounters with the Chamorro people. March 16: Sighting of Zamal (

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

), one of the

Philippine Islands The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. They landed on the uninhabited island of Humunu (

Homonhon Homonhon Island is an island in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines, on the east side of Leyte Gulf. The long island is part of the municipality of Guiuan, encompassing eight barangays: Bitaugan, Cagusu-an, Canawayon, Casuguran, Culasi, ...

) where they encountered fishermen from the nearby island of Zuluan ( Suluan). They traded supplies with the locals and learned the local culture and the names of nearby islands while their sick crew members recuperated. March 28: They anchored off the island of Mazaua (

Limasawa Limasawa, officially the Municipality of Limasawa ( Cebuano: ''Lungsod sa Limasawa''; Filipino: ''Bayan ng Limasawa''), is an island municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popula ...

) where they met two rulers on a hunting expedition on the island,

Rajah Kulambo ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested fr ...

and

Rajah Siawi Rajah Siawi (sometimes called Rajah Siagu) was the ruler of the Rajahnate of Butuan and Calagan ( Surigao) during the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in Limasawa Island. A cousin of Rajah Humabon of the Rajahnate of Cebu, Rajah Siawi was one of th ...

, of the

Rajahnate of Butuan Butuan also called the Butan Rajanate and the Kingdom of Butuan (; Butuanon: ; ; ) was a precolonial Philippine polity centred on the northern Mindanao island in the modern city of Butuan in what is now the southern Philippines. It was known f ...

and Calagan ( Surigao), respectively. Magellan and his crew spent a few days as the guests of the rulers. March 31:

First Mass in the Philippines The first documented Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday. It was conducted by Father Pedro de Valderrama of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition along the shores of what was referred to in the journals of Anton ...

held in

. April 3: The fleet sets off for Cebu, guided by the

balangay A Balangay, or barangay is a type of lashed-lug boat built by joining planks edge-to-edge using pins, dowels, and fiber lashings. They are found throughout the Philippines and were used largely as trading ships up until the colonial era. The ...

warships of Rajah Kulambo. April 7: Arrival at Zubu (

Rajahnate of Cebu Cebu, or Sugbu, also called the Cebu Rajanate, was an Indianized raja (monarchical) mandala (polity) on the island of Cebu in the Philippines prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. It is known in ancient Chinese records as the na ...

). Magellan starts converting natives to Christianity, including

Rajah Humabon Rajah Humabon, later baptized as Don Carlos, (died April 27, 1521) was the Rajah of Cebu (an Indianized Philippine polity). Humabon was Rajah at the time of the arrival of Portuguese-born, Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines ...

, the ruler of Cebu. April 27: Death of Magellan in the

Battle of Mactan The Battle of Mactan ( ceb, Gubot sa Mactan; fil, Labanan sa Mactan; es, Batalla de Mactán) was a fierce clash fought in the archipelago of the Philippines on April 27, 1521. The warriors of Lapulapu, one of the Datus of Mactan, overpowered ...

. Serrano and Barbosa are voted co-commanders. May 1: At a local banquet Barbosa and 27 sailors (including Afonso de Góis, the new captain of ''Victoria'' after the election of Barbosa and Serrano) are murdered and Serrano captured, later killed. The three remaining ships escape to the island of

Bohol Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. It ...

. May 2: There are not enough men to handle three ships, thus the worm-infested ''Concepcion'' is burned down. Two ships remain: ''Victoria'' and ''Trinidad''. Gonzalo Gomez de Espinosa becomes captain of ''Victoria''. Joao Lopez Carvalho is made as the Captain General. The ships sail to

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

Mapun Mapun, officially the Municipality of Mapun, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 30,038 people. It is formerly known as Cagayan de Sulu until 1984, then as ...

Palawan Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in t ...

, and

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...

. September 21: Carvalho is replaced by Espinosa as Captain-General. Juan Sebastian Elcano becomes captain of ''Victoria''. November 8: Arriving at

Tidore Tidore ( id, Kota Tidore Kepulauan, lit. "City of Tidore Islands") is a city, island, and archipelago in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia, west of the larger island of Halmahera. Part of North Maluku Province, the city includes the island ...

in the

Moluccas The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...

. December 21: ''Victoria'' under the command of Elcano leaves the Moluccas to return home, sailing west towards the Cape of Good Hope. ''Trinidad'' remains at Tidore for repairs.

1522

January 25: ''Victoria'' reaches

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, also ...

and starts to cross the Indian Ocean. April 6: ''Trinidad'' under the command of Espinosa leaves the Moluccas heading home sailing east. After five weeks, Espinosa decides to return to the

where he and his ship are captured by a Portuguese fleet under Antonio de Brito. However, the ship was wrecked during a storm. May 22: ''Victoria'' passes the Cape of Good Hope and enters the Atlantic Ocean. July 9: ''Victoria'' reaches Santiago, Cape Verde. September 6: ''Victoria'' returns to

under the command of Elcano, two weeks shy of three years after setting sail. September 8: ''Victoria'' arrives at Seville, technically completing the circumnavigation.

1523

Settlement of King

Carlos I of Spain Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fro ...

and

Juana I Joanna (6 November 1479 – 12 April 1555), historically known as Joanna the Mad ( es, link=no, Juana la Loca), was the nominal Queen of Castile from 1504 and Queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was married by arrangement to Phi ...

with Ferdinand Magellan and Rui Faleiro signed at

Valladolid Valladolid () is a municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. It has a population around 300,000 peop ...

, SpainSettlement of King Charles I with Ferdinand Magellan and Rui Faleiro / Page 01
/ref>

References

Bibliography

*Laurence Bergreen, ''Over the Edge of the World''. Harper Perennial, 2003. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation Modern history timelines Exploration of the Pacific Ocean Spanish Empire 1519 in Spain 1519 in science 1520 in science 1521 in science 1522 in science *