Magellan, Ferdinand

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth from 1519 to 1522. His voyage demonstrated the globe's size and confirmed that the Earth is round, opening new sea routes to Asia. Magellan’s fleet sailed across the Atlantic, around the southern tip of South America, and across the Pacific, facing storms and unfamiliar lands. Although Magellan himself was killed in the Philippines, his crew completed the journey under Spanish command. His expedition is considered a major milestone in navigation and global exploration.