Magellan's Biography

Ferdinand Magellan himself magport

Born in 1480 as Fernao de Magalhaes in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal to a noble Portuguese family, Ferdinand Magellan grew up living very close to the Atlantic Ocean. His father, Rodrigo de Magalhaes could trace his ancestry to the Crusades. His mother, Alda de Mesquita, could be Jewish and little was known about her.

When Ferdinand was 12, he and his brother Diogo were sent to the court as court pages. There he was taught how to read, learned mathematics and everything about navigation. He also heard about the discoveries Portuguese explorers made. This was where Magellan learned about navigation, mathematics, and languages.

Under the influence of Portuguese supremacy in the maritime exploration areas, Ferdinand joined the Portuguese fleet in his youth to conquer the East Indies, and he spent 14 years in his expeditions in the Malay, going as far as the Indonesia and the Spice Islands. This knowledge of the Asian world was what led him to believe he could return via a new water route to establish the spice trade for Spain.

After his return from the Moroccos, Ferdinand lost the favor of the Portuguese King Manuel I, and in desolation, he went to Spain to seek the favor of the Spanish King Charles I. Charles I granted Magellan a fleet of 5 ships to sail West in search of a new sea route to Spice Islands. The journey started in 1519 in October. Ferdinand, as a Portuguese captain (even though he had relinquished his Portuguese nationality before the Spanish commission) was not trusted by his Spanish subordinates. After putting down several mutinies in the journey, and finding his way through the Strait of Magellan amidst many trials, and with a journey lasting 3 years, with Ferdinand himself being killed in a battle at Cebu, Philippines, his expedition succeeded in arriving to the Spice Islands. His last vessel, the Victoria, returned to Spain on Sept 6, 1522 with a cargo of cloves, the value of which more than paid for the journey.

Magellan had endured the longest ocean journey with his expedition , and became the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe and proved that all the waters in the world were connected together.



		Ferdinand Magellan himself Born in 1480 as Fernao de Magalhaes in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal to a noble Portuguese family, Ferdinand Magellan grew up living very close to the Atlantic Ocean. His father, Rodrigo de Magalhaes could trace his ancestry to the Crusades. His mother, Alda de Mesquita, could be Jewish and little was known about her. When Ferdinand was 12, he and his brother Diogo were sent to the court as court pages. There he was taught how to read, learned mathematics and everything about navigation. He also heard about the discoveries Portuguese explorers made. This was where Magellan learned about navigation, mathematics, and languages. Under the influence of Portuguese supremacy in the maritime exploration areas, Ferdinand joined the Portuguese fleet in his youth to conquer the East Indies, and he spent 14 years in his expeditions in the Malay, going as far as the Indonesia and the Spice Islands. This knowledge of the Asian world was what led him to believe he could return via a new water route to establish the spice trade for Spain. After his return from the Moroccos, Ferdinand lost the favor of the Portuguese King Manuel I, and in desolation, he went to Spain to seek the favor of the Spanish King Charles I. Charles I granted Magellan a fleet of 5 ships to sail West in search of a new sea route to Spice Islands. The journey started in 1519 in October. Ferdinand, as a Portuguese captain (even though he had relinquished his Portuguese nationality before the Spanish commission) was not trusted by his Spanish subordinates. After putting down several mutinies in the journey, and finding his way through the Strait of Magellan amidst many trials, and with a journey lasting 3 years, with Ferdinand himself being killed in a battle at Cebu, Philippines, his expedition succeeded in arriving to the Spice Islands. His last vessel, the Victoria, returned to Spain on Sept 6, 1522 with a cargo of cloves, the value of which more than paid for the journey. Magellan had endured the longest ocean journey with his expedition , and became the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe and proved that all the waters in the world were connected together.