Ferdinand+Magellan



Ferdinand Magellan By Emma B. and Sophie D.

Ferdinand Magellan was an amazing explorer in the 1500s. Ferdinand Magellan was the first explorer to sail around the world. Magellan was born in 1480, in Northern Portugal. His parents died when he was 10 years old. When Magellan was 12 years old, he was appointed as the queen’s messenger to the royal court. When he was at the court, he learned about many famous explorers and about navigating ships.

Magellan’s first time at sea was on 1505. He sailed with Francisco de Almedia. In 1511, he went on an expidition to conquer Melaka. In September 1519, set sail for southern Spain with five ships. The ships name’s were the Santiago, the San Antonio, the Conception, the Trinidad and the Victoria. The small fleet sail across the Atlantic Ocean and reached South America. Magellan and his crew sailed along the costal line trying to find a way through the continent. Magellan sailed further soon temperature started to get colder. In October 1520, Magellan and his crew found a strait which is a narrow stretch of water between areas of land. Magellan named the strait after himself, the Strait of Magellan. It took 38 days to ail through the strait. Magellan and his crew arrived at a ocean that Balboa discovered before. Magellan named the ocean the Pacific ocean because of its calm waters. After a while there water got all slimy and they ran out of food and they had to eat rats. Most of them suffered from scurvy. One of the other captains deserted Magellan and sailed the San Antonio back to Spain.

In March of 1521 Magellan and his crew arrived in Guam an island in the Pacific. From Guam Magellan and his crew headed to Moluccas. Magellan and his crew never made it to the Spice Islands. They were caught in a war in the Philippine Islands. They faced a group of natives that killed Magellan by a poisonous arrow in his foot and a spear to the heart. After Magellan died his crew went and burnt Magellan’s ship leaving only 3 ships left. Magellan’s body was left behind. Only two ships made it to the Spice islands. The Santago sunk in a storm. The Portuguese claimed the Spice islands. The Victoria was the only ship that made it safely back to Spain. Out of 250 men,18 survived. Magellan was not one of them. Even though Magellan never completed his journey around the world, he is still credited with being the first explorer to travel around the earth. Magellan was an amazing explorer.



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