Magellan and the first circumnavigation of the world. Ferdinand Magellan - short biography of the conquistador

Ferdinand Magellan (Fernand de Magalhães)- a Portuguese (Spanish) navigator who circumnavigated the Earth on his ship "Victoria", and as he says official history did it first. One strait was even named after him.
So Ferdinand Magellan was the man who commanded the first expedition that made the first circumnavigation of the Earth. One thing you need to understand is that only official versions and sources have reached us; perhaps there were expeditions before. But the only historically confirmed trip around the world was Ferdinand Magellan.
The round-the-world expedition was prepared for several years, and on September 20, 1519, a squadron consisting of 5 ships and 256 people, led by Magellan, left the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda (the mouth of the Guadalquivir River) and moved in the direction South America and on November 29 the squadron reached the coast of Brazil.
On March 6, 1521, the squadron saw the island of Guam, the largest island of the Mariana Islands archipelago, which now belongs to the United States, and it is next to it that the deepest place on Earth is located - the Mariana Trench. At that time, the island was already inhabited. There is no point in writing about the details of Magellan’s presence on the island; they say that most of the story is fiction.
Next was today's Philippines, where on April 7, 1521, the flotilla entered the port of Cebu Island, Philippines.
On April 27, on the island of Mactan in the Philippines, Magellan died at the hands of rebel Filipinos.
Next were the Moluccas and the possible purchase of spices.
Only the ship "Victoria" under the leadership of Juan Sebastian Elcano made it back, which with difficulty rounded the Cape of Good Hope and then for two months sailed straight to the northwest along the African coast to Spain.
And on September 6, 1522, “Victoria” finally reached Spain, arriving in Seville. The only remaining ship had eighteen surviving crew members. Later, in 1525, four more of the 55 crew members of the ship Trinidad were taken to Spain. Then the crew members of the Victoria ship, who were captured by the Portuguese during a forced stop in July on the Cape Verde Islands in Portugal, were ransomed and returned.

And the purpose of Magellan’s journey, according to the stories of historians, was banal and simple: he did not want to be a discoverer or the first person to travel around the world, he simply went for spices: pepper, cinnamon and others growing on the Moluccas Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
But there is a more sensible reasoning on this matter: at that time bronze had value, and it, in turn, cannot be obtained without tin, which is why Ferdinand Magellan went fishing. He sailed not only to the Moluccas, but also to Malaysia, where there was tin in the beach sands on the coast. There was also tin ore in Yemen and Singapore. Therefore, according to another version of historians, this reason for the trip was more rational than, for example, spices.

Map of Ferdinand Magellan's voyage around the world 1519 -1522

A modern copy of Ferdinand Magellan's ship "Victoria"

BBC documentary in the best traditions about the journey of Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was born on November 20 (in some sources October 17), 1480 in the Portuguese city of Sabrosa into a noble family. His first known sea expedition was a voyage to India in 1505 on the squadron of the Portuguese Viceroy Francisco de Almeida. In 1506, Magellan went to Mozambique, and then again to India.

Participation in wars. Emigration to Spain

In 1508-1513, and without that interesting biography Fernand Magellan's life was enriched by such events as participation in various expeditions, battles with the Moors, Indians and Arabs. In 1511, the navigator was among those who took Mallaka, and in 1514 he participated in the capture of Morocco.

Upon returning to Portugal, Ferdinand Magellan firmly decided to reach the Moluccas Islands (Indonesia). The navigator turned to the Portuguese King Manuel I for help, but the monarch did not approve of this expedition.

Soon Magellan emigrated to Spain. In 1517, the Spanish King Charles I gave permission to organize a trip to the Molucco Islands. The navigator's flotilla consisted of five ships: Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria, Santiago.

World trip

On September 20, 1519, Magellan's five ships set off. The team circumnavigated the eastern coast of South America. In March 1520, some of the sailors expressed a desire to return to Spain, but Magellan managed to calm the brewing rebellion. In May 1520, the ship Santiago was lost, so the expedition continued on four ships. In September, Ferdinand Magellan and his flotilla passed through the Strait, later called the Magellanic Strait. Immediately after this, the ship San Antonio returned to Spain.

Magellan's flotilla reached the Pacific Ocean and passed through it for more than three months. Arriving at the islands (later called Philippine), the navigator decided to subjugate the population to the Spanish king. In a skirmish with the natives, on April 27, 1521, Magellan was killed.

During his short biography, Magellan showed himself to be a brave warrior and was awarded the rank of sea captain.

End of the expedition

Without Magellan, the remaining ships of the flotilla reached the Moluccas, where they purchased spices. Two ships left the islands - "Trinidad" and "Victoria". The first went east, but was forced to return to the Molucco Islands, where he was captured by the Portuguese on the orders of the king, who called the navigator Magellan a deserter. And only the ship “Victoria” returned to its homeland, having circumnavigated Africa.

Other biography options

• In his youth, Magellan was a page to Queen Leonora of Aviz (wife of John III).
• The main reason for Magellan's move to Spain was a quarrel with the Portuguese king, who did not pay the navigator for his devoted service.
• Magellan called the ocean Pacific because during the entire voyage the ships never encountered a storm.
• In memory of Magellan's discoveries, his monument was erected on the island of Mactan. Many writers (S. Zweig, A. Pigafetta, I. Nozdrin, etc.) created works based on data about the legendary expedition, including books for children.

Ferdinand Magellan.

Ferdinand Magellan is a Portuguese and Spanish navigator who made the first trip around the world, as well as the first European to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Youth

Expeditions

Achievements

Name: Ferdinand Magellan

State: Portugal, Spain

Scope of activity: Navigator

Greatest Achievement: Made the world's first trip around the world.

Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480, on February 3, in Portugal. Magellan was an explorer and navigator. He organized the first trip around the world in Europe. Magellan's expedition became the first conclusive evidence that the Earth is round.

Early years

Ferdinand Magellan was born in Porto (Portugal) in 1480. His parents belonged to a noble family and young Magellan early age entered the service royal family. He was only 12 years old when he became the royal page of Leonora of Aviz. Since childhood, Magellan studied cartography, astronomy and navigation by the stars.

Magellan entered service in the Portuguese navy in 1505. He sailed to East Africa, then participated in the battles of Diu, during which Portugal was victorious and defeated the Egyptian fleet. Fernand traveled to Malacca (Malaysia) twice and took part in the capture of the port by the Portuguese army.

He also took part in an expedition to the Moluccas, which at that time was called the Spice Islands. The spice trade in Europe during Magellan's time was very profitable and gave rise to great competition. The Moluccas became the main source of valuable spices such as cloves and nutmeg.

In 1513, Magellan was wounded in a battle in North Africa, but the king took into account all his merits and helped him. In 1517 he went to Seville to enroll in public service in Spain.

Research for Spain

Spain and Portugal in Magellan's time were major powers in great competition with each other. Both countries laid claim to the newly discovered regions of the Americas and the east. In 1494, Portugal and Spain concluded the Treaty of Tordesillas, defining spheres of influence for each power. Portugal could count on all the territories from Brazil to the East Indies, and Spain on the western lands from Brazil to Cape Verde.

In essence, the treaty divided the globe into two halves between the two countries. The Spaniards had not yet explored their half of the Earth, but they assumed that they would be able to discover part of the Spice Islands there. Magellan proposed testing this assumption by sending an expedition to the west.

Other researchers had already paved the way for Magellan's grand expedition. One of them was (1451-1506), who sailed west from the European coast to the Caribbean islands. Columbus misjudged the distance between Europe and the East Indies. He discovered America and the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean. After his voyage, many explorers became obsessed with finding a route through America to the east to give Spain access to the Spice Islands. One of these explorers was Magellan.

Ferdinand Magellan's trip around the world

King Charles V of Spain (1500-1558) accepted Magellan's offer and on September 20, 1519, he was assigned to lead a flotilla of five ships. The flotilla was supposed to head to the Atlantic.

His brother-in-law, Duarte Barbosa, also set sail with Magellan. Arriving in Brazil, the flotilla headed along the South American coast to San Julian Bay, in Patagonia.

The explorers stayed there from March to August 1520. During this time, there was an attempt on the ships to raise a mutiny against the captain, who was suppressed. Subsequently, however, the mutinous ship Santiago was completely destroyed, and its crew was taken on board by the remaining ships.

After leaving San Julian, the flotilla headed south. On October 21, 1520, she entered the strait, which now bears the name of Magellan. On November 28, only three ships entered the Pacific Ocean. This was followed by a long voyage north across the Pacific Ocean. On March 6, 1521, the flotilla anchored in Guam.

Magellan headed east to Cebu, Philippines, where he tried to get help from the local government. Involuntarily, he was drawn into hostilities and killed in battle on April 27, 1521. Barbosa was also killed soon after. The remaining crew was forced to destroy the Concepción (ship) and the great voyage around the world was completed. Magellan's ship Victoria was led by former rebel Juan Sebastian del Cano. He crossed the Indian Ocean and finally returned to Seville from the Cape of Good Hope on September 8, 1522. Meanwhile, Trinidad (the ship) attempted to return home via the Pacific Ocean. In the Moluccas, the crew was captured by the Portuguese and sent to prison. Only four of them were later able to return to Spain.

Magellan's Legacy

Economically, Magellan's project was a failure for Spain. As a result of the division of the world, Portugal received a part of the world that was more advantageous in terms of resources. Spain miscalculated and did not gain access to the Moluccas. Magellan lost his flotilla, his men and own life. Despite this, his voyage became the most important historical event, because this was the first proof that the Earth is a ball. Magellan's voyage is considered one of the most important explorations in human history.

First circumnavigation under the leadership of Ferdinand Magellan began on September 20, 1519 and ended on September 6, 1522. The idea of ​​the expedition was in many ways a repetition of Columbus's idea: to reach Asia by heading west. The colonization of America had not yet brought significant profits, unlike the Portuguese colonies in India, and the Spaniards wanted to sail to the Spice Islands themselves and benefit. By that time it had become clear that America was not Asia, but it was assumed that Asia lay relatively close to the New World.

In March 1518, Ferdinand Magellan and Rui Faleiro, a Portuguese astronomer, appeared in Seville at the Council of the Indies and declared that the Moluccas - the most important source of Portuguese wealth - should belong to Spain, since they are located in the western, Spanish hemisphere (according to the treaty of 1494), but it is necessary to get to these “Spice Islands” by a western route, so as not to arouse the suspicions of the Portuguese, through the South Sea, opened and annexed by Balboa to the Spanish possessions. And Magellan convincingly argued that between the Atlantic Ocean and South Sea there must be a strait south of Brazil.

After a long bargaining with the royal advisers, who negotiated for themselves a substantial share of the expected income and concessions from the Portuguese, an agreement was concluded: Charles 1 undertook to equip five ships and supply the expedition with supplies for two years. Before sailing, Faleiro abandoned the enterprise, and Magellan became the sole leader of the expedition.

Magellan himself personally supervised the loading and packaging of food, goods and equipment. As provisions they took on board crackers, wine, olive oil, vinegar, salted fish, dried pork, beans and broad beans, flour, cheese, honey, almonds, anchovies, raisins, prunes, sugar, quince jam, capers, mustard, beef and rice. In case of clashes there were about 70 cannons, 50 arquebuses, 60 crossbows, 100 sets of armor and other weapons. They took material for trade, hardware, women's jewelry, mirrors, bells and mercury (it was used as a medicine).

Magellan raised the admiral's flag on the Trinidad. The Spaniards were appointed captains of the remaining ships: Juan Cartagena - “San Antonio”; Gaspar Quezada - "Concepcion"; Luis Mendoza - "Victoria" and Juan Serrano - "Santiago". The staff of this flotilla numbered 293 people; there were another 26 freelance crew members on board, among them the young Italian Antonio Pigafetga, the historian of the expedition. An international team set off on the first voyage around the world: in addition to the Portuguese and Spaniards, it included representatives of more than 10 nationalities from different countries Western Europe.

On September 20, 1519, a flotilla led by Magellan left the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda (the mouth of the Guadalquivir River).