
The
Magellan expedition
The Magellan expedition, sometimes termed the MagellanElcano expedition, was a 16th-century Spanish Empire, Spanish expedition planned and led by Portuguese Empire, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. One of the most important voyages in th ...
(10 August or 20 September 1519 6 September 1522) was the
first voyage around the world in human history. It was a
Spanish expedition that sailed from
Seville
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
in 1519 under the initial command of
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan ( – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer best known for having planned and led the 1519–22 Spanish expedition to the East Indies. During this expedition, he also discovered the Strait of Magellan, allowing his fl ...
, a
Portuguese sailor, and completed in 1522 by
Spanish Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
navigator
Juan Sebastián Elcano.
The initial goal of the voyage was to secure funding to explore the possibility of a southwestern passage around
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
to
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and the
Spice Islands
In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for ...
(now part of
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
). After crossing the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
, wintering in
Patagonia
Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
, and suppressing a
mutiny
Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...
, the expedition found and transited 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 the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natural ...
in 1520. After crossing the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
to the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, Magellan was killed
during a raid on the
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 ...
chief Lapulapu
Lapulapu (floruit, fl. 1521) or Lapu-Lapu, whose name was first recorded as Çilapulapu, was a datu (chief) of Mactan, an island now part of the Philippines. Lapulapu is known for the 1521 Battle of Mactan, where he and his men defeated Spa ...
in 1521. The ship ''Victoria'' under
Juan Sebastian Elcanowho began the expedition as a
boatswain
A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, or the third hand on a fishing vessel, is the most senior Naval rating, rate of the deck department and is responsible for the ...
took command of the expedition and sailed into the open Indian Ocean, avoided landing in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
despite the resulting starvation, and bluffed his way into resupply at the
Cape Verde Islands
Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...
before completing the first circumnavigation on 6 September 1522. Of the initial 270 crew members, only 18 sailors completed the entire journey.
Timeline
1494
* June 7: The
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in Tordesillas, Spain, on 7 June 1494, and ratified in Setúbal, Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile, along a meridian (geography) ...
amends a series of earlier
papal bull
A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it.
History
Papal ...
s to divide the newly discovered territories of the world between the
Spanish and
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...
s 370
leagues west of the
Cape Verde Islands
Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...
. Importantly, it provides for a Portuguese monopoly on trade around Africa but leaves open the possibility of Spanish exploration further west to the antimeridian of the division.
1514
* Magellan was intent on finding a route to the
Spice Islands
In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for ...
. Accused of unlawfully trading with the Moors, the Portuguese king denied Magellan permission to embark on Portuguese adventures
1518
* Magellan moves to
Seville
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
, the 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 cro ...
. He secures an audience with the new
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
king
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
CharlesI (later emperor CharlesV of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
) and his mother and co-monarch
Joanna
Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from . Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, and Jeanne.
The earliest recorded occurrence of th ...
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 the Tagus, a bit upstream of the discharge of the Jarama. , the munici ...
.
* March 22: Charles issues the approving the expedition under both Magellan and
Ruy Faleiro, giving Magellan power of 'rope and knife' over the men and authority over newly discovered lands, and establishing a division of the profits upon its success. It is not expected at the time that the expedition would continue west into Portuguese territory to complete a circumnavigation. Magellan becomes a Spanish subject as part of the arrangement.
[.]
1519
* April 19: Charles issues the expedition's
letters patent
Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
, repeating his previous grants, naming Magellan and Faleiro
captains general, and directing them to seek spices in the
Moluccas
The Maluku Islands ( ; , ) or the Moluccas ( ; ) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located in West Melanesi ...
.
* August 10: Departure from
Seville
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
down the
Guadalquivir River to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where the ships underwent further repairs, preparation, and provisioning.
* September 20: Departure from
Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
* September 26 October 3: Stopping in the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
to take in provisions.
* November 29: Fleet reaches the vicinity of
Cape St. Augustine.
* December 13: Entering the bay of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
.
* 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 the ''San Antonio'' found to be leaking badly and halts for repairs.
* February 5: Cape Corrientes
* February 24: San Matías Gulf
* February 27: Entering Bahía de los Patos.
* March 31: Beginning of the overwintering stay at
Puerto San Julián.
* April 1 and 2: Attempted
mutiny
Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...
of the ''Victoria'', ''Concepcion'', and ''San Antonio'', deftly handled by Magellan. Louis de Mendoza killed, followed by the execution of De Quesada and marooning of De Cartagena. Alvaro de Mesquita becomes the captain of the ''San Antonio'' and
Duarte Barbosa of the ''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.
João Serrão becomes captain of the ''Concepcion''.
* July: Encounters with the “
Patagonian giants” (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
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 the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...
.
* End of October: ''San Antonio'', charged to explore Magdalen Sound, fails to return to the fleet, instead sails back to Spain under
Estêvão Gomes 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 deficiency disease (state of malnutrition) resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, fatigue, and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, anemia, decreased red blood cells, gum d ...
.
1521
* January 24 or 2528: Landfall on an uninhabited island, which Magellan names St Paul's (probably
Puka-Puka). They stay for a few days before continuing on.
* March 6: Arrival at
Guam
Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
and encounters with the
Chamorro people
The Chamorro people (; also Chamoru) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, politically divided between the Territories of the United States, United States territory of Guam and the encompassing Norther ...
.
* 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, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. They landed on the uninhabited island of Humunu (
Homonhon) 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 population ...
) where they met two rulers on a hunting expedition on the island,
Rajah Kulambo and
Rajah Siawi, of the
Rajahnate of Butuan and Calagan (
Surigao) respectively. Magellan and his crew spent a few days as the guests of the rulers.
* March 31 (
Easter Sunday
Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...
):
First Mass in the Philippines held in
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 population ...
.
* April 3: The fleet sets off for
Cebu
Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
, 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). Magellan starts converting natives to Christianity, including the raja
Humabon.
* April 27: Death of Magellan in the
Battle of Mactan
The Battle of Mactan (; ) was fought on a beach in Mactan Island (now part of Cebu, Philippines) between Spanish forces led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan along with local allies, and Lapulapu, the chieftain of the island, on th ...
. Serrão and Barbosa are voted co-commanders and refuse to honor Magellan's will, manumitting his Malay slave
Enrique. Afonso de Góis becomes captain of the ''Victoria''.
* May 1: At a banquet held by Humabon, Barbosa and 27 sailors including De Góis are massacred. Enrique escapes. Serrão escapes but is captured and killed. The fleet escapes to
Bohol
Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol (; ), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. It is home to Bohola ...
.
* May 2: Without enough men to repair and man the three ships, the worm-infested ''Concepcion'' is
burned. João Lopez Carvalho selected as captain general and commander of the ''Trinidad''. Gonzalo Gómez de Espinosa becomes captain of the ''Victoria''. The ships subsequently sail to
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
,
Mapun,
Palawan
Palawan (, ), officially the Province of 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 terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
, and
Brunei
Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...
in search of supplies, abandoning sailors along the way.
* September 21: Carvalho is replaced by Espinosa as captain general.
Juan Sebastian Elcano becomes captain of ''Victoria''.
* November 8: The fleet finally arrives at
Tidore in the
Moluccas
The Maluku Islands ( ; , ) or the Moluccas ( ; ) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located in West Melanesi ...
, purchasing tons of cloves.
* December 21: ''Trinidad'' remains in Tidore for repairs while ''Victoria'' leaves west, sailing through the Sunda Strait and across the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope.
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 Indonesia–Timor-Leste border, divided between the sovereign states of Timor-Leste in the eastern part and Indonesia in the ...
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
Moluccas
The Maluku Islands ( ; , ) or the Moluccas ( ; ) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located in West Melanesi ...
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
The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.
A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...
and enters the Atlantic Ocean.
* July 9: ''Victoria'' reaches
Santiago, Cape Verde
Santiago (Portuguese language, Portuguese for “James, son of Zebedee, Saint James”) is the largest island of Cape Verde, its most important agricultural centre and home to half the nation's population. Part of the Sotavento Islands, it lies b ...
.
* September 6: ''Victoria'' returns to
Sanlúcar de Barrameda under the command of Elcano, two weeks shy of three years after setting sail.
* September 8: ''Victoria'' arrives at Seville.
* September 9: Elcano and the other first 17 European circumnavigatorseach holding a candlewalk barefoot from the to the
Minim convent of Our Lady of Victory of
Triana in fulfillment of vows taken during their extremity.
1523
* Settlement of King
Carlos I of Spain and
Juana I
Joanna of Castile (6 November 1479 – 12 April 1555), historically known as Joanna the Mad (), was the nominal queen of Castile from 1504 and queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile ...
with Ferdinand Magellan and Rui Faleiro signed at
Valladolid
Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, Spain.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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Modern history timelines
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*