Magellan
The world is round. Seems like pretty common knowledge, right? Well, without the circumnavigation of the globe performed by Portuguese native Ferdinand Magellan, people might still believe that the world is flat. Magellan is very much responsible for a good part of what we know about the world we live in.
First Circumnavigation of the Globe, begun in 1519, was an attempt to prove that the Moluccas were actually property of Spain. Finding a route between the Moluccas and Spanish Peru would be argument enough for ownership of the islands. Ferdinand Magellan set out on this voyage with five ships, but the voyage was more difficult than expected.
Magellan tried to get support from the King of Portugal, but he would not fund this voyage because he saw no need for such extreme spending. Magellan then turned to King Charles (also known as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) for help. Magellan convinced Charles I that this voyage would be useful to show that the Moluccas were property of Spain, not Portugal. King Charles I saw this as an opportunity to gain status and wealth for his country and gave Magellan funding.
On September 20, 1519, Magellan began his voyage with a crew of over 200 men on five ships. After three months of travel, Magellan anchored near present day Rio de Janeiro. Magellan believed he had found the Moluccas but it was only the delta of the Rio de la Plata. Disappointed, the crew sailed on.
In October of 1520, a lookout spotted the strait, later named the Straits of Magellan , and the not-yet-named Pacific Ocean was straight ahead. The suffering amongst the crew members grew as they began running out of food. Along with hunger, scurvy became prevalent. At least twenty men died from complications due to starvation.
While in the Philippines, the sailors converted many natives to Christianity. During an attempt by Magellan to convert the chief of a nearby island to Christianity, the leader became upset. Magellan, against the advice of his officers,
First Circumnavigation of the Globe, begun in 1519, was an attempt to prove that the Moluccas were actually property of Spain. Finding a route between the Moluccas and Spanish Peru would be argument enough for ownership of the islands. Ferdinand Magellan set out on this voyage with five ships, but the voyage was more difficult than expected.
Magellan tried to get support from the King of Portugal, but he would not fund this voyage because he saw no need for such extreme spending. Magellan then turned to King Charles (also known as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) for help. Magellan convinced Charles I that this voyage would be useful to show that the Moluccas were property of Spain, not Portugal. King Charles I saw this as an opportunity to gain status and wealth for his country and gave Magellan funding.
On September 20, 1519, Magellan began his voyage with a crew of over 200 men on five ships. After three months of travel, Magellan anchored near present day Rio de Janeiro. Magellan believed he had found the Moluccas but it was only the delta of the Rio de la Plata. Disappointed, the crew sailed on.
In October of 1520, a lookout spotted the strait, later named the Straits of Magellan , and the not-yet-named Pacific Ocean was straight ahead. The suffering amongst the crew members grew as they began running out of food. Along with hunger, scurvy became prevalent. At least twenty men died from complications due to starvation.
While in the Philippines, the sailors converted many natives to Christianity. During an attempt by Magellan to convert the chief of a nearby island to Christianity, the leader became upset. Magellan, against the advice of his officers,