Ferdinand Magellan - Navigator, Timeline and Facts
Home › Portuguese › Ferdinand Magellan1480736 viewsFerdinand Magellan's Personal Details
Ferdinand Magellan was a famous Portuguese navigator and explorer
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | 1480 |
| Died on | April 27, 1521 |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Famous | Miscellaneous, Explorers, Navigator |
| Spouses | María Caldera Beatriz Barbosa |
| Siblings | Aires de Magalhães, Diogo de Sousa, Duarte de Sousa, Genebra de Magalhães, Isabel de Magalhães |
| Known as | Fernão de Magalhães, Magellan |
| Childrens | Carlos de Magalhães, Rodrigo de Magalhães |
| Birth Place | Sabrosa |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Rodrigo de Magalhães |
| Mother | Alda de Mesquita |
| Born in | Sabrosa |
| Famous as | Navigator, Explorer |
| Died at Age | 41 |
// Famous Navigator
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an early 17th century English navigator and explorer. This biography of Henry Hudson provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline
James Cook
James Cook was a British explorer, captain and cartographer. Explore this biography to learn more about his profile, childhood, life and timeline.
Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman was a Dutch explorer who discovered New Zealand. This biography gives detailed information about his childhood, life, works and timeline.
Ferdinand Magellan's photo
Who is Ferdinand Magellan?
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese-born navigator, who, by way of attempting to reach the spice-rich South-east Asia, initiated the circumnavigation of the earth. After serving as a soldier in the Portuguese fleet for a couple of years, he got largely involved with searching a westerly route for spices. He was the first European explorer to sail from the Atlantic Ocean into the new calm waters and name it the Mar Pacifico (now Pacific Ocean), through the Strait of Magellan, and discover Tierra del Fuego, a chain of islands off the southernmost tip of South America. His efforts at circumnavigating the world eventually proved that there was another way to reach India and the Spice Islands other than the more-popular Africa-route, despite being long and dangerous. Although he was killed before the voyage could be completed, he is credited for making the first circumnavigation around the globe, which was masterminded by him. The western route discovered by Magellan was not used for years as Spain was busy acquiring land in South America and Portuguese sought sailing eastwards through the Cape of Good Hope a faster and more convenient route.
// Famous Explorers
John Cabot
John Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer who was the first European to discover the coast of North America. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life, and achievements.
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was the legendary Italian merchant, explorer and traveler, who travelled to China and worked under emperor, Kublai Khan. Read this biography to learn more about his profile, childhood, life and timeline.
Bear Grylls
Bear Grylls is an adventurer popularly known for his bizarre survival tactics in reality television series Man vs. Wild. This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, profile, career and timeline.
Childhood & Early Life
Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480, either in Vila Nova de Gaia, near Porto, or Sabrosa, near Vila Real, to Rodrigo de Magalhaes and Alda de Mesquita.
His parents died when he was ten years old, and hence, went to the Portuguese court to serve as a page to Queen Leonora, along with his brother Diogo, mainly because of his parents’ wealthy Portuguese connections.
He was educated at the Queen’s School of Pages, Lisbon, and was fortunate to get accustomed to subjects, such as astronomy, cartography, and celestial navigation, which proved useful in his later pursuits.
Career
In 1505, he joined a Portuguese fleet under Francisco de Almeida, first viceroy of Portuguese in India, to an expedition to India and Africa where he spent seven years.
He fought in several battles, such as Battle of Cannanore (1506) wounding himself and Battle of Diu (1509), where the Portuguese destroyed Egyptian ships in the Arabian Sea.
In 1511, he was enlisted in Afonso de Albuquerque’s fleet in the conquest of Malacca, on the Malay Peninsula, thereby getting hold of important trade routes in the region.
He traveled further and explored the Moluccas, known as the Spice Islands (now part of Indonesia), home to some of the world’s most expensive spices, including cloves and nutmeg.
He returned to Lisbon in mid-1513 where he joined the massive 500-ship, 15,000-soldier force sent to Morocco, by King Manuel, to fight the governor as he had refused to pay an annual tribute to the Portuguese.
Magellan stayed back in Morocco, after the Moroccan forces were defeated, where he sustained a leg wound in a skirmish, leaving him with a permanent limp.
In 1514, his without-permission leave cost him his career, as he was accused of illegal trading with the Moors, which despite denying resulted in cancelation of future employment offers from the Portuguese.
After a disagreement with King Manuel to approve his petition for sailing west from Europe to reach the Spice Islands in 1517, he renounced his Portuguese nationality and traveled to Seville to seek support from the Spanish king.
Along with cosmographer Riu Faleiro, he offered his services to King Charles I (future Holy Emperor Charles V), grandson of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who had funded Columbus’ expedition to the New World in 1492.
After two years of rigorous study of the recent navigation charts and analyzing the mistakes committed by other explorers, Christopher Columbus and Vasco Nunez de Balboa, he received royal assent.
King Charles agreed to finance his trip in the hope of becoming the king of the richest nation in the world by reaching Moluccas and getting a share in the spices, without affecting relations with the Portuguese.
In 1518, he and Faleiro were made captains to execute their search for the spice-rich lands through an all-water passage and were later promoted as the Commander of the Order of Santiago.
Faleiro withdrew from the voyage just before boarding and henceforth, Juan Sebastian Elcano, a Spanish merchant ship captain, embarked.
He started his westward voyage in 1519 from Seville with the lead ship Trinidad, along with four other vessels – San Antonio, Santiago, Concepcion, and Victoria, carrying 270 men of different nationalities.
The fleet reached Rio de Janeiro and continued sailing southward along the east coast of South America, where upon reaching Puerto San Julian, a serious mutiny broke out between the Spanish captains and Magellan.
He quelled the uprising, executing one captain and leaving the other marooned on the deserted land. After waiting for few weeks for the weather to calm down, due to Santiago’s wrecking in the storm, the voyage was resumed.
The fleet rounded the Cape Virgenes, Argentina, and entered into the passage on November 1, 1520, naming it the Estrecho de Todos los Santos or All Saints’ Channel.
San Antonio sailed back to Spain, as its captain deserted, leaving just three ships to sail further into the South Pacific.
After three months of slow sailing across the vast Pacific Ocean, the ships reached the island of Guam in March 1521. They continued towards the Philippines, reaching the island of Cebu in April 1521.
Upon the King’s request, who he had befriended and persuaded to accept Christianity, he agreed to fight the king’s enemy on the island of Mactan. Magellan attacked the island of Mactan with a small force but the ilanders outnumbered them with big numbers and eventually he was killed.
After his death at the hands of the Mactanese, only two ships, Trinidad and Victoria (Concepcion was abandoned and burnt), managed to sail westward and reach the Spice Islands or Moluccas in November 1521.
The ships were loaded with spices and started off westwards, but Trinidad broke off and was no longer seaworthy, leaving only Victoria to continue and return to Seville, with 18 survivors under Juan Sebastian Elcano in September 1522.
Major Works
He crossed the 373-mile passage from Cape Virgenes at the tip of South America in November 1520, which is today popularly known as the Strait of Magellan.
He named the new waters ‘Mar Pacifico’ meaning ‘peaceful’, as he entered, in November 1520, upon crossing through the Strait of Magellan from the Atlantic Ocean, which is today called the Pacific Ocean.
Even though he was killed midway, his crewmember Juan Sebastian Elcano continued the journey, thus completing the first ever circumnavigation of the world and proving that the globe is round.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1518, he married his countryman friend Diogo Barbosa’s daughter, Maria Caldera Beatriz Barbosa, in Seville. The couple had two sons – Rodrigo de Magalhaes and Carlos de Magalhaes, both dying in childhood.
While fighting the chieftain on the Mactan Island, he assumed to finish off the war with his powerful European weapons, but was attacked with a bamboo spear and killed on April 27, 1521.
Three craters– Magelhaens and Magelhaens A on the moon and Magelhaens on Mars, have been named after him by the International Astronomical Union.
The Magellanic penguin is named after him since he was the first European to discover this South American breed in 1520, which is found in Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands.
// Famous Miscellaneous
Jason Simpson
Jason Simpson is the son of former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O. J. Simpson. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, life, and little known facts about him.
Melissa Brim
Melissa Brim is the ex-girlfriend of former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Check out this biography to know about her birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.
Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is a Christian author and speaker. This biography provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline
Ferdinand Magellan biography timelines
- // 1480Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480, either in Vila Nova de Gaia, near Porto, or Sabrosa, near Vila Real, to Rodrigo de Magalhaes and Alda de Mesquita.
- // 1492Along with cosmographer Riu Faleiro, he offered his services to King Charles I (future Holy Emperor Charles V), grandson of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who had funded Columbus’ expedition to the New World in 1492.
- // 1505In 1505, he joined a Portuguese fleet under Francisco de Almeida, first viceroy of Portuguese in India, to an expedition to India and Africa where he spent seven years.
- // 1506 To 1509He fought in several battles, such as Battle of Cannanore (1506) wounding himself and Battle of Diu (1509), where the Portuguese destroyed Egyptian ships in the Arabian Sea.
- // 1511In 1511, he was enlisted in Afonso de Albuquerque’s fleet in the conquest of Malacca, on the Malay Peninsula, thereby getting hold of important trade routes in the region.
- // 1513He returned to Lisbon in mid-1513 where he joined the massive 500-ship, 15,000-soldier force sent to Morocco, by King Manuel, to fight the governor as he had refused to pay an annual tribute to the Portuguese.
- // 1514In 1514, his without-permission leave cost him his career, as he was accused of illegal trading with the Moors, which despite denying resulted in cancelation of future employment offers from the Portuguese.
- // 1517After a disagreement with King Manuel to approve his petition for sailing west from Europe to reach the Spice Islands in 1517, he renounced his Portuguese nationality and traveled to Seville to seek support from the Spanish king.
- // 1518In 1518, he and Faleiro were made captains to execute their search for the spice-rich lands through an all-water passage and were later promoted as the Commander of the Order of Santiago.
- // 1518In 1518, he married his countryman friend Diogo Barbosa’s daughter, Maria Caldera Beatriz Barbosa, in Seville. The couple had two sons – Rodrigo de Magalhaes and Carlos de Magalhaes, both dying in childhood.
- // 1519He started his westward voyage in 1519 from Seville with the lead ship Trinidad, along with four other vessels – San Antonio, Santiago, Concepcion, and Victoria, carrying 270 men of different nationalities.
- // 1520The Magellanic penguin is named after him since he was the first European to discover this South American breed in 1520, which is found in Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands.
- // Nov 1520He crossed the 373-mile passage from Cape Virgenes at the tip of South America in November 1520, which is today popularly known as the Strait of Magellan.
- // Nov 1520He named the new waters ‘Mar Pacifico’ meaning ‘peaceful’, as he entered, in November 1520, upon crossing through the Strait of Magellan from the Atlantic Ocean, which is today called the Pacific Ocean.
- // 1st Nov 1520The fleet rounded the Cape Virgenes, Argentina, and entered into the passage on November 1, 1520, naming it the Estrecho de Todos los Santos or All Saints’ Channel.
- // Apr 1521After three months of slow sailing across the vast Pacific Ocean, the ships reached the island of Guam in March 1521. They continued towards the Philippines, reaching the island of Cebu in April 1521.
- // 27th Apr 1521While fighting the chieftain on the Mactan Island, he assumed to finish off the war with his powerful European weapons, but was attacked with a bamboo spear and killed on April 27, 1521.
- // Nov 1521After his death at the hands of the Mactanese, only two ships, Trinidad and Victoria (Concepcion was abandoned and burnt), managed to sail westward and reach the Spice Islands or Moluccas in November 1521.
- // Sep 1522The ships were loaded with spices and started off westwards, but Trinidad broke off and was no longer seaworthy, leaving only Victoria to continue and return to Seville, with 18 survivors under Juan Sebastian Elcano in September 1522.
// Famous Portuguese peoples
José Dinis Aveiro
José Dinis Aveiro was a Portuguese municipal gardener and the father of Cristiano Ronaldo. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, struggles, personal life, etc.
Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro
Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro is the mother of famous Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, struggles, personal life, etc.
Katia Aveiro
Katia Aveiro is a Portuguese singer, TV personality, and businesswoman, better known as the sister of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, personal life, career, achievements, etc.
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine was a celebrated chess player of Russia. This biography of Alexander Alekhine provides detailed information about his childhood, achievements, life & timeline.
José Mourinho
Jose Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and former footballer. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
Luís Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo is a retired Portuguese footballer who played for Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Internazionale. This biography of Figo profiles his childhood, life, football career, achievements and timeline.
Ferdinand Magellan's FAQ
When was Ferdinand Magellan died?
Ferdinand Magellan was died at 1521-04-27
Where was Ferdinand Magellan died?
Ferdinand Magellan was died in Mactan
Which age was Ferdinand Magellan died?
Ferdinand Magellan was died at age 41
Where is Ferdinand Magellan's birth place?
Ferdinand Magellan was born in Sabrosa
What is Ferdinand Magellan nationalities?
Ferdinand Magellan's nationalities is Portuguese
Who is Ferdinand Magellan spouses?
Ferdinand Magellan's spouses is María Caldera Beatriz Barbosa
Who is Ferdinand Magellan siblings?
Ferdinand Magellan's siblings is Aires de Magalhães, Diogo de Sousa, Duarte de Sousa, Genebra de Magalhães, Isabel de Magalhães
Who is Ferdinand Magellan childrens?
Ferdinand Magellan's childrens is Carlos de Magalhães, Rodrigo de Magalhães
Who is Ferdinand Magellan's father?
Ferdinand Magellan's father is Rodrigo de Magalhães
Who is Ferdinand Magellan's mother?
Ferdinand Magellan's mother is Alda de Mesquita
How famous is Ferdinand Magellan?
Ferdinand Magellan is famouse as Navigator, Explorer