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Ferdinand Magellan(c.1480-1521)
Magellan was from Sabrosa, Portugal. He served in the army at a young age. Vasco Da Gama had already discovered a sea route to India around the tip of Africa. Magellan wanted to find a quicker route. His main destination was the Spice Islands where important spices were located. He went west around the Americas. The king of Portugal did not want any part of this excursion. However, Hudson did manage to interest the Spanish king. He was equipped with five ships and 240 sailors. He reached the Atlantic in 1519. It took them a while to reach South America. Afterward, they went south around the tip through a strait now known as the Strait of Magellan. It had taken a year just to get to the Pacific. Supplies began to disappear. Magellan had not anticipated that the Pacific would be so large. Dying of starvation, Magellan and his men discovered land. They had landed on the Mariana Islands. The crew forced themselves to go on and reached the Philippines. Magellan was killed in the Philippines while trying to make peace between two tribes. The two remaining ships sailed under a new leader, Juan Sebastian DelCano. It was originally planned to go back the way they had come, but it was discovered that it would take less time to go around Africa. Winds pulled under another ship leaving one full of spices for home. It took three years for DelCano and the 17 surviving crew to return home. |
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