During the battles of Azemmour in Morocco, Magellan plundered, stole a lot of possessions, and was deprived of advancement in the military ranks (Getty)

A Spanish navigator and explorer of Portuguese origin, born in 1480. He joined the forces of the Spanish King Charles in 1517 and led the first maritime expedition in the world (1519-1522), through which he proved the sphericity of the Earth, and discovered the waterway located in Latin America linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. ; The “Strait of Magellan” was named after him, and on his way to the Moluccas in Indonesia, he was killed by Filipino leaders, due to his disputes with their sultan and their Muslim national hero, Lapu-Lapu, before he completed his mission.

Birth and upbringing

Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480 in the municipality of Sabrosa in the province of Tras Montes in northern Portugal. He came from an elite family. His father was mayor of the municipality of the port of Aveiro, while his mother was a member of the House of Nobility.

In an upper-class environment characterized by full care and care for children, Ferdinand grew up and was raised. He was passionate about adventures and challenges while he was still at an early stage of his life.

Study and training

Due to his social status, Ferdinand Magellan received a distinguished education. He studied mathematics, astronomy, and maritime science. When he was 12 years old, he was sent to Lisbon and remained there until he joined the court and served King Manuel I, who ruled Portugal from 1495 to 1521.

From within the court, he received many lessons and martial arts that qualified him to join the army in 1505.

Military experience

Magellan joined the Portuguese army when he was twenty years old, and in 1505 he went with the royal garrison stationed in western India, and from there he participated with the expeditions that occupied East Africa.

During this period, he focused his efforts on naval service, and demonstrated his superiority in the field of navigation and offensive plans at sea. When the Portuguese royal forces wanted to invade the city of Malacca in Malaysia in 1511, Ferdinand was at the forefront of the armed naval forces.

After controlling Malacca, the Portuguese began to control the ports of Malaysia through the Strait of Malacca, which gave their forces a great victory and superiority in the Levant. Magellan observed the Portuguese voyages towards the Moluccas (Spice Islands) in Indonesia, which are rich in riches and diverse spices.

After the occupation of Malaga, he returned by sea to Portugal, joined the Royal Crown Force charged with exploration, and participated in the invasion of the Moroccan city of Azemmour, in which he was injured in his leg until he became permanently lame.

During the battles of Azemmour, Magellan plundered and stole a lot, as a result of which he was tried and deprived of his advancement in the military ranks.

Loyalty to Spain

In the 15th century, the spice trade flourished in Europe due to its role in preserving food and improving its taste. European lands were not suitable for cultivation due to the cold climate, so they were brought by sea from the Moluccas in Indonesia. Portugal and Spain competed on sea routes in order to reach these islands, until Portugal dominated the sea route that passes through the Cape of Good Hope in the far south of Africa, which angered Spain and it did not accept it.

In order to get out of this problem and to avoid friction between the two countries, Ferdinand Magellan proposed the idea of ​​financing a voyage to search for another sea route, but the Portuguese King Manuel did not embrace the idea and rejected it.

Under the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, signed between Portugal and Spain to settle disputes over the discovered places, the coasts of Africa, India, and East Asia were the property of Portugal, while the agreement stipulated that Spain owned the Americas and the regions located to the west.

After Magellan was unable to convince the Portuguese king to support him on a voyage of exploration by sailing between the continents, he headed towards Spain, and landed in Seville on October 20, 1517.

In Spain, he met King Charles, and told him that the Spice Islands belong to the geography of Spain, so the king was convinced to finance an expedition under his leadership.

3D scientific reconstruction of the Spanish galleon fleet led by Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century (Getty)

Magellan's sea voyage

On March 1, 1518, the Spanish king issued a decree appointing Magellan as a naval admiral, and financing a voyage for him aimed at searching for new sea routes, as well as identifying the locations of the Moluccas Islands, which are rich in spices.

Magellan prepared a fleet consisting of 5 ships - the most important of which was the ship Trinidad, commanded by the admiral, and the ship Victoria, which was able to return from the voyage - and a crew consisting of 270 soldiers from various European cities, and set off from Seville on August 10, 1519.

He headed south in the Atlantic waters and followed the eastern coast of Brazil until he reached the port of San Julian in southern Argentina in March 1520. He remained there for 5 months due to climate changes that prevented him from continuing.

During his stop in Argentina, one of his ships was wrecked and another one returned to Spain. Some of his soldiers also rebelled, but he was able to overcome the disobedience and executed a number of his companions.

In October 1520, he continued his journey southward until he reached a sea strait in the far south of the American continent. After 38 days of trying to cross this strait full of sharks and characterized by its strong winds and powerful waves, he reached another ocean that he called the Pacific Sea.

He was the first to discover this strait that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and it bore his name and became known as the “Strait of Magellan.”

Because of the strong sea winds, he moved away from the Spice Islands that he was searching for, and also moved away from the coast of Argentina, until his convoy suffered from a lack of supplies and food, and a number of his soldiers died of scurvy.

On March 6, 1521, Magellan’s mission arrived on the island of Guam, provided itself with basic supplies, and continued its journey until it reached the Cebu region in the Philippines.

War with the inhabitants of the Philippines

Ferdinand's plan, as stated in his letter to King Charles, was to head from Guam towards the Moluccas Islands, rich in spices, and return to Spain, but during his stay in the Cebu region, he forged strong relationships with the local population, and wanted to annex them to the Spanish crown.

The people of the Cebu region were in war and conflicts with the residents of Mactan Island, which is controlled by Muslims, and the people of Cebu extended a helping hand and assistance to Magellan, so he decided to participate in the war to subjugate the Muslim groups.

Although his team advised him to focus on his mission and continue sailing towards the Spice Islands, he refused and decided to enter the local battles, which was the reason for his inability to successfully complete his journey, which was about to end, and reach the Moluccas, which are rich in spices, and return to Spain.

Although he did not achieve his goal, which was to reach the Indonesian islands, his soldiers completed the mission, and the journey that started from Europe, passed through Africa, America, and Asia, and returned to its starting point, was the first journey that circumnavigated the globe in history.

Magellan discovered the waterway located in Latin America that linked the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and it was named after him (Getty)

Death

Ferdinand Magellan died on April 27, 1521 after battles he fought with the leader of the Filipino Muslim groups on the island of Mactan, Sultan Lapu-Lapu, and some accounts say that Magellan wanted to Christianize him and bring him under Spanish rule.

After his death, his assistant continued sailing until he reached the Moluccas in Indonesia, and loaded the Spanish ships with spices. On the way back, Portuguese forces intercepted the voyage team, detained many of its members, and some of its ships broke down.

On September 8, 1522, the ship Victoria arrived on the Spanish coast, carrying 17 soldiers and a large load of spices. It is the only ship that returned from the naval fleet that went on Magellan's expedition.

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