Ferdinand magellan biographical details
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The expedition would prove long and arduous, and only one ship, the Victoria, would return three years later across the Pacific, carrying a mere 18 of the fleet’s original crew of 270.
In September 1519 Magellan’s fleet sailed from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, and crossed the Atlantic Ocean, which was then known simply as the Ocean Sea.
The fleet reached South America a little more than one month later. When the natives saw that, they all hurled themselves upon him. Along their course, they noticed a constant flow of wind. When he returned to Portugal, he petitioned King Manuel I three times to let him go. A year later, he went to Morocco in Northern Africa where he fought in another battle.
However, Antonio Pigafetta had been making notes about the language, and was apparently able to continue communications during the rest of the voyage. At this point the record gets murky. Magellan commanded the lead ship Trinidad and was accompanied by four other ships: the San Antonio, the Conception, the Victoria and the Santiago.
Retrieved March 18, 2007.
The journey resumed. Of the 237 crew members who set out with Magellan in August 1519, only 18 managed to return to Spain and thereby complete the circumnavigation in September 1522.[1]
Magellan was the first to reach Asia by sailing westward from Europe, the objective of the voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492, which led to the discovery of the American continents.
The voyage was also sent to establish contact with the legendary kingdom of Prestor John. Thereupon, beholding him dead, we, wounded, retreated, as best we could, to the boats, which were already pulling off.[3]
Circumnavigation and return
Magellan had provided in his will that his Malay interpreter was to be freed upon Magellan's death.
Food and water became rationed, and the crew was not happy. On November 28, the three remaining ships entered the South Pacific. Just 18 years old at the time, King Charles I granted his support to Magellan, who in turn promised the young king that his westward sea voyage would bring immeasurable riches to Spain.
Strait of Magellan
On August 10, 1519 Magellan bade farewell to his wife and young son, neither of whom he would ever see again, and the Armada De Moluccas set sail.
In the midst of the battle, he received a severe knee wound. He came from a noble family.
While serving in Morocco, in 1513, Magellan was wounded and walked the remainder of his life with a limp. This attempt failed; the ship was captured by the Portuguese, and was eventually wrecked in a storm while at anchor under Portuguese control. So Magellan took a group of about 60 men to attack Mactan.
The casualties suffered in the Philippines left the expedition with too few men to sail the three remaining ships. Magellan first assigned Concepcion and San Antonio to explore the strait, but the latter, commanded by Gomez, deserted and returned to Spain on November 20, 1520.