The Magellan Expedition

The Magellan Expedition, conducted from 1519 to 1522, was a Portuguese-led voyage sponsored by Spain to find a western route to Asia. Ferdinand Magellan led a fleet of ships through uncharted waters, eventually crossing the vast Atlantic, navigating south along South America, and discovering the strait that now bears his name—The Strait of Magellan. The expedition continued across the Pacific, reaching the Philippines, where Magellan was killed. One of the ships, the Victoria, eventually returned to Spain, completing the first known circumnavigation of the Earth, demonstrating the planet's size and opening new global trade routes.