Ferdinand Magellan

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voyages of Ferdinand Magellan and Francis Drake

Oceanic voyages of Ferdinand Magellan and his crew, 1519–22

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Ferdinand Magellan summary

Ferdinand Magellan

Q: Who were Ferdinand Magellan’s parents?

Ferdinand Magellan was the son of Rui de Magalhães and Alda de Mesquita, members of the Portuguese nobility.

Q: What did Ferdinand Magellan discover?

In 1520 Ferdinand Magellan discovered the channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, between the mainland tip of South America and Tierra del Fuego island . Named after him, the Strait of Magellan was an important sailing-ship route before the building of the Panama Canal in 1914 offered a significantly shorter Atlantic-Pacific passage.

Q: What is Ferdinand Magellan best known for?

Ferdinand Magellan is best known for being an explorer for Portugal , and later Spain , who discovered the Strait of Magellan while leading the first expedition to successfully circumnavigate the globe. He died en route and Juan Sebastián del Cano completed it. The circumnavigation confirmed the idea that the world was round rather than flat.

Q: How was Ferdinand Magellan killed?

On April 27, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan was killed in a fight with the people of Mactan Island in the Philippines .

Portuguese explorer

Also known as: Fernão de Magalhães, Fernando de Magallanes, Hernando de Magallanes

Written by Mairin Mitchell, Francisco Contente Domingues•All

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 21, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

Portuguese:: Fernão de Magalhães

Spanish:: Fernando de Magallanes or Hernando de Magallanes

Born:: 1480, Sabrosa or Porto?, Portugal

Died:: April 27, 1521, Mactan, Philippines

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Who were Ferdinand Magellan’s parents?

What did Ferdinand Magellan discover?

What is Ferdinand Magellan best known for?

How was Ferdinand Magellan killed?

Ferdinand Magellan (born 1480, Sabrosa or Porto?, Portugal—died April 27, 1521, Mactan, Philippines) was a Portuguese navigator and explorer who sailed under the flags of both Portugal (1505–13) and Spain (1519–21). From Spain, he sailed around South America, discovering the Strait of Magellan, and across the Pacific. Though he was killed in the Philippines, one of his ships continued westward to Spain, accomplishing the first circumnavigation of Earth. The voyage was successfully terminated by the Basque navigator Juan Sebastián del Cano. Magellan was the son of Rui de Magalhães and Alda de Mesquita, members of the Portuguese nobility. At an ...(100 of 2436 words)

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