Fernando Magellan (c. 1480 - 1521) - an outstanding Portuguese navigator who made the first voyage around the world. He discovered the entire coast of South America south of La Plata, the strait named after him, the Patagonian Cordillera, was the first to round America from the south, crossed the Pacific Ocean, discovering the islands of Guam and Roth. He proved the existence of a single World Ocean and provided practical proof of the sphericity of the Earth. His name is borne by the two galaxies closest to Earth - the Magellanic Clouds.
Fernand Magallan, who became known to the whole world as Fernando Magellan, was born around 1480 in Sabros, in the Portuguese province of Traz osh Leontish, into the family of an impoverished knight from the di Magallan family. In 1490, his father managed to attach his son to the court of King João II, where he was brought up and trained at the expense of the treasury, and two years later became a page of Queen Leonora.
Later, Fernand was enlisted in the Naval Order and, as a naval officer, as part of the squadron of Viceroy of India Francisco d "Almeida, went to India. Later, the young officer participated in an expedition to the Malacca Peninsula, on a campaign to Morocco, where he was seriously wounded in the leg. Then his track record was enriched by service in Sofia, which by that time had become one of the Portuguese military fortifications on the way from Lisbon to India.In 1509 Magalyans took part in the defeat of the Venetian-Egyptian squadron at Diu, and in 1510 he again received he was seriously wounded during the assault on Calicut (Kozhikode). He understood his services to the crown and upon returning to Lisbon in 1512 or 1513 he asked the king for a promotion. Having received a refusal, the offended Magalyans decided to move to Spain, which he did in 1517 ...
Back in Portugal, remembering the impressions received in the East Indies, Magellan began to study cosmography and marine sciences, and also wrote a book "Description of the kingdoms, shores, harbors and islands of India." In Spain, he met with the Portuguese astronomer Ruy Faleiro. Together they drew up a plan: sailing westward, reach the Moluccas, which at that time were under Portuguese rule and were the main source of spices for Lisbon. Naturally, the Portuguese stood guard over their interests and arrested any foreign ship that appeared in their controlled waters.
Companions believed that the islands lie in that part of the Earth, which, according to the famous papal bull of 1493 Inter cetera, belongs to Spain. In order not to arouse the suspicions of the Portuguese, they followed the western route, passing from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean through the passage, which Magellan believed was south of Brazil. With this plan, he and Faleiro in March 1518 appealed to the Council of India, demanding for themselves, if the enterprise succeeds, the same rights and advantages that Columbus had stipulated. After lengthy negotiations, the project was adopted, and Charles I (aka the German king Charles V) undertook to equip 5 ships and allocate supplies for two years. In the event of the discovery of new lands, companions were given the right to become their rulers. They received 20% of the income. At the same time, the rights were to be inherited. But soon Faleiro, citing a bad horoscope, refused to participate in the expedition. Thus, Magellan became its sole boss and organizer.
On September 20, 1519, the ships Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria and Santiago left San Lucar at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, having on board 293 crew members and 26 other freelance members. Among them was Antonio Pigafetta, who became the chronicler of the expedition. Trinidad was designated the flagship.
Swimming descriptions come in many variations. It is widely known about the lights on the shores of the land, which received the name Fiery (more correctly "Land of Fire" - Tierra del Fuego), why the Pacific Ocean became Pacific, and the Patagonians have a name that means "big-legged" about the discovery of the Magellanic Clouds (expedition made discoveries not only on earth, but also in the sky), etc. In a brief summary, the route of the expedition is as follows.
On September 26, the flotilla approached the Canary Islands, on November 29 reached the bay of Rio de Janeiro, and on January 10, 1520 - the mouth of La Plata, the extreme point of the then known coast. From here, Magellan sent the Santiago upstream to see if there was a passage to the South Sea. After the return of the ship, the expedition moved south, and the transitions were carried out only by giving and as close to land as possible so as not to miss the strait.
We spent the winter in San Julian Bay off the coast of Patagonia (49 ° S lat.), Which entered on March 31. Here Magellan experienced a serious test. A riot broke out on three ships. The crews demanded to turn to the Cape of Good Hope and go to the Moluccas in the traditional way. The rebellion was suppressed thanks to the admiral's determination and the loyalty of some of his companions. The rebellious captains were dealt with mercilessly: one was executed, the body of the other, who died, was quartered, and the third was landed on a deserted coast along with the conspirator-priest. But Magellan did not punish the sailors.
On August 24, wintering ended. The flotilla left the San Julian Bay and moved further along the coast, and on October 21, 1520, the sailors saw the long-awaited strait leading west. But the admiral still doubted, fearing that there was another bay in front of him, and sent ahead two ships, which returned three days later with the news that they had seen the cape and the open sea. We spent some more time in these waters, exploring narrow straits, canals and bays, and lost the San Antonio. Magellan never found out that the ship's crew mutinied, the captain was wounded and shackled, and then turned the ship to Spain. At home, the new arrivals accused the admiral of treason. Magellan's family was deprived of state benefits. His wife and children soon died in poverty.
The flotilla moved further along the northern shore of the strait, which Magellan called the Patagonian (later on the maps it will be designated as Magellan), rounded Cape Froward (53 ° 54 "S) - the southernmost point of the mainland and for another five days it was a strait surrounded by gloomy high shores, the southern of which was Tierra del Fuego, and the sailors saw the open ocean on November 28, 1520. The passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, which Columbus was looking for in vain, was finally found.
The three remaining ships of the flotilla (except for the deserted San Antonio, lost the Santiago crashed on the rocks) first went north, 100 km from the rocky coast, trying to leave the cold waters, in mid-December from about. Moga (38 ° 30 "S) turned north-west, and a little later - west-north-west. During the journey across the ocean, many islands were discovered, but imprecise calculations do not allow them to be identified with any specific But the discovery in early March of the islands of Guam and Rota, the southernmost of the Mariana group and named by Magellan the "Robbers", can be considered proven. Several natives were killed.
From these islands the flotilla moved westward and on March 15, 1521 was near about. Samar (Philippines). We anchored at the neighboring Siargao Island and later moved to uninhabited Homonkhon. A week later, moving to the west, we arrived at about. Limasava, where Magellan's slave, the Malay Enrique, heard Malay speech. This meant that the travelers were somewhere near the Spice Islands, that is, they had completed their task.
Accompanied by the pilot, the ships moved to about. Cebu, where a large commercial port and the residence of the rajah were located. Soon both the ruler and members of his family adopted Christianity, and Magellan intervened in the internecine war on about. Mantan. On the night of April 27, 1521, the admiral, accompanied by a small detachment, landed ashore, where they were attacked locals... Here the great navigator died under the blows of spears and cleavers, but "... all the time he turned back to see if we all had time to plunge into the boats." This small stroke, fixed by the devoted Pigafetta, says a lot about the personality of Fernand Magellan - not only a talented naval commander, but also a man who possessed qualities rare for those harsh times. Eight more sailors died there along with the head of the expedition.
The voyage of Magellan was completed by Sebastian Elcano (del Cano). Under his leadership, two ships sent through North Kalimantan (Borneo) reached the Moluccas and purchased spices there. Only "Victoria" was able to sail further. On it, diligently bypassing the paths laid by the Portuguese, Elcano crossed the southern part Indian Ocean, circled the Cape of Good Hope and through the Cape Verde Islands on September 7, 1522 arrived in the harbor of San Lucar.
Of the 256 people who left with Magellan, only eighteen went ashore, and all of them were exhausted to the extreme - according to an eyewitness, "thinner than the worst nag." Here they had a hard time. Instead of honors, the team received a public repentance for one lost day (as a result of moving in time zones around the Earth in a westerly direction). From the point of view of the church authorities, this could only happen as a result of breaking the fast. Elcano, however, was honored. He received a coat of arms depicting the globe with the inscription “You were the first to travel around me”, and a pension of five hundred ducats. No one remembered Magellan. The true role of this remarkable man in history was appreciated by descendants, and, unlike Columbova, she was never disputed. On the deserted shore of Fr. Mantan, at the place where Magellan died, a monument was erected in the form of two cubes, crowned with a ball.
Magellan's voyage revolutionized the concept of Earth. After this travel, any attempts to deny the sphericity of the Earth were completely stopped, it was proved that the World Ocean is one, ideas about the size of the planet were obtained, it was finally established that America is an independent continent, the coast of South America was studied with a length of about 3.5 thousand km, found a strait between two oceans, etc. All this would be more than enough for not one, but a dozen people. But these discoveries were inspired and made by one person - Fernand Magellan, whose deeds are rightly considered a feat committed for the benefit of all mankind.
Magellan's voyage is described by his companion Antonio Pigafetta in the book Magellan's Voyage, the manuscript of which he presented to the king. It has been published several times and translated into all major European languages, including Russian. This translation came out in two editions in 1800 and 1950.
Http://www.seapeace.ru/seafarers/captains/274.html
Biography and episodes of life Fernand Magellan. When born and died Fernand Magellan, memorable places and dates of important events in his life. Seafarer Quotes, images and videos.
Fernand Magellan's life years:
born 1480, died 27 April 1521
Epitaph
"... our mirror, our light, our consolation and our faithful leader."
From the book by Antonio Pigafetta "The Journey of Magellan"
Biography
The name of Magellan, the first traveler around the world, is known today by every schoolchild. He also knows that Magellan discovered the strait named after him and opened the way for Europeans from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Magellan was a good warrior and a real brave man, but, alas, his discovery and death did not bring civilization anything except the glorious history of another human achievement.
We know little about the early years of the traveler. He was born, apparently, in the Portuguese city of Sabroza, in a noble family. By the time Magellan was 18, Vasco da Gama had opened the way to India and the Portuguese rushed east. On the 1505 expedition, Magellan was with the squadron as a warrior. He participated in several battles and the construction of Mozambique, then ended up in India and was wounded twice.
According to some sources, it was Magellan who, after the Portuguese arrived in Malacca, warned the admiral about the threat that came from the Malays, so that the Portuguese sailors were able to repel the attack. He saved his compatriots who were on the shore. Another incident, clearly demonstrating the authority of Magellan and the strength of his personality, occurred on the way home. The Portuguese ships were shipwrecked off a small island, and both crews escaped. But there was only enough room in the boats to get to the homeland for officers, and Magellan voluntarily stayed with the sailors as a guarantee that they would not be abandoned without help - and soon they returned for them.
Portrait of Magellan by an unknown artist
Once a simple warrior, Magellan has become a man whose opinion is listened to by the Viceroy of Albuquerque. He took part in a new, successful, campaign to Malacca. He lived in Lisbon, went to Morocco and fought at Azemmour, was wounded again. After returning to Portugal, he begins to plan a trip to the Spice Islands (Moluccas) and turns to King Manuel I for help, but is refused. Then Magellan goes to Spain. There he finds support and, at the head of a flotilla of five ships, sets out on a journey.
On this journey, Magellan unsuccessfully searched for the strait between North and South America and was forced to winter in difficult conditions. Finally, the strait at Dawson Island was found, and the expedition went to the Pacific Ocean. Magellan reached the Philippines and established trade with the locals. Magellan converted one of the leaders of the island of Cebu to the Catholic faith and patronized him, which angered the other leader. A conflict broke out, Magellan went with a military detachment to battle the rebellious leader and was killed in the battle. According to the expedition's historian, Magellan fought to the last, was wounded several times and eventually stabbed to death. The locals refused to hand over the body of their admiral to the Portuguese, so Magellan's tomb does not exist.
Monument to Magellan at the place of his death and a monument to the leader Lapu-Lapu next to him
Life line
spring 1480 Fernand Magellan's date of birth.
1505 BC Expedition to India.
1509 BC Arrival to Malacca.
1512 g. Life in Lisbon.
1514 g. Participation in hostilities in Morocco.
1518 g. Marriage in Seville.
1519 g. The birth of a son and a trip around the world.
1520 g. Wintering in the San Julian Bay.
1521 g. Landing on the island of Cebu.
April 27, 1521 Date of death of Fernand Magellan
Memorable places
1. Gulf of Kannanur, where Magellan participated in the battle of the Portuguese squadron with the Indians and Turks.
2. Port of Malacca, in the capture of which Magellan participated twice, in 1509 and 1511.
3. The city of Azemmour in Morocco, in a punitive expedition to which Magellan participated.
4. Seville, where Magellan lived after returning from military campaigns.
5. Bay of San Julian on the territory of what is now Argentina, where Magellan's flotilla stopped for the winter in April 1502.
6. Strait of Magellan.
7. Regional Museum of Magellan and Monument at Plaza Muno Gameras in Punta Arenas, Chile.
8. Monument to Magellan and the leader Lapu-Lapu on the island of Mactan.
9. Chapel on the island of Cebu, at the site of the original landing of Magellan. The chapel is built around a wooden cross that Magellan left on the island.
Magellan's Cross in the city of Cebu on the island of the same name
Episodes of life
Magellan never made it to the Spice Islands, which was his original target. He himself did not manage to sail around the world. And of all the five ships of his expedition, only one ship with eighteen people returned home.
The Strait of Magellan never became the great trade route that the navigator was longing for. Almost all the ships that followed Magellan were wrecked here. The Spaniards dragged goods on dry land to the site of the future Suez Canal, instead of sending ships on such a long and dangerous expedition. Soon the strait is so completely forgotten that the pirate Francis Drake uses it as a secret refuge for raids on Spanish ships and colonies. And after the construction of the Suez Canal in 1913, the passage turns out to be completely useless.
In that place on the island of Mactan near Cebu, where the traveler was overtaken by death, a monument to Magellan was erected, and later - a monument to Lapu-Lapu, the rebellious leader. In honor of the latter, who became a national hero and a symbol of independence, the city on Mactan was also named.
"Magellan. The first trip around the world ”. A documentary film of the TV channel "Russia-Culture" from the series "Great geographical discoveries"
Condolences
“I hope ... the glory of this noble captain will not fade in the centuries and will not be consigned to oblivion. Along with his other virtues, he was adamant in the crucible of the greatest dangers like no other, and he endured hunger more stoically than any of us. He was well versed in everything related to the art of sailing ships, skillfully plotting a course and making maps. This is truly so, because no one except him was so wise, did not have such a strong willpower and such extensive knowledge, to decide to undertake a voyage around the Earth, as he did. "
Historiographer of the Magellan Expedition, Antonio Pigafetta
“Only for the accomplishment of the feat did fate choose from countless millions of people this gloomy, silent, self-contained person, always steadily ready to sacrifice for the sake of his plan everything that he owned on earth, and in addition his life. Only for hard work did she summon him and, without gratitude and reward, like a day laborer, she drove him out after the completion of the work.
Stefan Zweig
Fernando Magellan and the first round the world expedition
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Expedition start
September 20, 1519 years 5 ships went on a campaignfrom the mouth of the Guadalquivir. Magellan developed in advance special for the flotillasignaling system that allowed ships do not lose each other on the high seas... Every day the ships converged at close range for a daily report and instructions.
Fortunately for posterity and historians, the flagship the ship of Magellan"Trinidad" sailed a man named Antonio Pigafettawho kept a diary and left a detailed report on all events... Thanks to him, there is almost no Magellan's flotilla on the journey " white spots», In contrast, for example , from the first trip Columbus.
Why did Magellan hide the sailing route from everyone?
Magellan deliberately concealed the proposed sailing route, including from his captains and helmsmen. Why? To prevent information leakage. The confrontation with the Portuguese was a real threat. It was a priori clear that the flotilla would have to descend to the south. latitude of Hierrothat violated Tordesillas Agreement... And in America, too, it would inevitably have to go along the Portuguese possessions.
Spanish captains on going to sea began to demand clarification about the route. But even here Magellan refused them: "Your task is to follow me." As a result of the correct maneuvers, Magellan managed to never run into the Portuguese.
The Spanish captains continued to muddy the waters. The "coolest" of the Spanish captains, the commander of the "San Antonio" Cartagena, being the "overseer" from the king, behaved inappropriately towards the commander. Then Magellan showed firmness and arrested Cartagena. And he put his own man, Alvara Mishkita, as the captain of the San Antonio.
December 26, 1519 - the mouth of the La Plata River, where the search for the alleged strait began. It quickly became clear that this was not a strait, but the mouth of the river, only very large.
The search for the strait continued, and the expedition headed south along the coast.
March 31, 1520, reaching 49 ° S lat. the flotilla stood up for the winter in the bay named San Julian... (Recall that winter in the southern hemisphere falls on our summer.)
Revolt at St. Julian's Bay
Having risen for the winter, Magellan ordered to cut rations to reduce the norms of food distribution. Which caused the team's understandable dissatisfaction. A handful of conspirators took advantage of this. Events began to develop rapidly, as in an action-packed adventure novel.
April 1, 1520, on Palm Sunday, Magellan invited the captains to a church service and a festive dinner. The captain of the Victoria Mendoza and the captain of the Concepción, Quesado, defiantly ignored the invitation. On the night of April 1–2, a mutiny begins. The rioters infiltrated the San Antonio, captured the sleeping Captain Mishkita and chained him. The helmsman Juan de Eloryaga, who tried to resist, Quesado kills with a knife. Sebastian Elcano is in command of the San Antonio.
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Magellan finds out about the mutiny only in the morning. At his disposal are two ships "Trinidad" and "Santiago", inferior to the rest of the ships in combat equipment. Seeing their superiority, the rebels did not go to an armed conflict. It was important for them only to remove Magellan from power. A boat was sent to the commander with a letter stating that their goal was only to force Magellan to correctly carry out the orders of the king. The rebels agree to continue to consider Magellan in charge, but he must reckon with them and not act without their consent. And they invited Magellan to their place for negotiations. Magellan responded by inviting them to his place. The rebels refused.
Then Magellan manages to capture their boat. Having extensive experience in naval battles even in India and Southeast Asia, Magellan decides to strike first. He puts the "parliamentarians" in the boat under the command of Gomez de Espinoza and directs it to the "Victoria", on board which were many Portuguese. Climbing aboard, Espinoza presents Captain Mendoza with a new invitation from Magellan to come to the negotiations. The captain starts reading it with a grin, but does not have time to finish. Espinoza stabs him in the neck. Taking advantage of the crew's confusion, another group of Magellan's supporters, already well armed, climbs aboard the Victoria. The "paratroopers" were headed by Duerte Barboza, who came up on another boat. The Victoria's crew surrenders without resistance. Then "Trinidad", "Victoria" and "Santiago" block the exit from the bay. The rebels attempted to slip into the ocean past them, but the San Antonio was fired upon and boarded. Concepcion surrendered to the winner's mercy.
Magellan arranged a tribunal over the rebels, as during hostilities. Apparently, he had such powers. Several dozen rebels were sentenced to death, but immediately pardoned for obvious reasons. Only one Quesada was executed. Magellan did not dare to execute the representative of the king Cartagena and one of the priests who actively participated in the rebellion, and they were left on the shore after the departure of the flotilla. Nothing else is known about them.
Interestingly, history will repeat itself in a few decades. In 1577 he will enter the same bay, which will also have to sail around the world. A conspiracy will be uncovered on his flotilla and a trial will take place in the bay. He will offer the rebel a choice: execution, or he will be left on the shore, like Magellan Cartagena. The defendant will choose execution
The expedition moved on in search of the strait. After a while, the Santiago sent on reconnaissance crashed on the rocks. Magellan made his commander João Serran the captain of the Concepcion. Thus, all the remaining four ships ended up in the hands of Magellan's supporters. "San Antonio" was commanded by Mishkita, "Victoria" Barbosa.
Magellan announced to the crew that he would search the strait up to 75 ° S latitude. Quite a bold statement - let me remind you that the Arctic Circle is located at 66 °, and 75 ° S. - this is Antarctica!
October 21, 1520 at 52 ° S lat. the ships were near a narrow strait leading inland. San Antonio and Concepcion are sent out on reconnaissance. The water was salty all the time, and the lot did not reach the bottom. The ships returned with news of possible luck.
We will not describe in detail how the ships went into the unknown for several weeks along a narrow, dangerous strait. Magellan gathered a general meeting of captains to develop a strategy. Esteban Gomes, helmsman of the San Antonio, favored a return home in the face of complete uncertainty ahead. But Magellan knew well the history of the campaign of Bartolomeo Dias, who bypassed Africa from the south, but yielded to the demands of the team and did not go further. After which Diasha, despite all the merits, was never allowed to lead the expeditions again.
", BGCOLOR," #ffffff ", FONTCOLOR," # 333333 ", BORDERCOLOR," Silver ", WIDTH," 100% ", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"\u003e Magellan takes full responsibility for himself and announces that he will go forward no matter what. And they went ahead. But Gomes seized the moment, mutinied the team, arrested captain Mishkita and took San Antonio to Spain.
The remaining three ships Magellan November 28, 1520brought to the ocean space.
Pacific Ocean
Coming out of the strait, the flotilla went steeply to the north for 15 days. After 38 ° S. sh. turned north-west, and reaching 30 ° S. sh., turned north-west. Magellan with such maneuvers tried to "get" exactly to the Spice Islands, the coordinates of which he knew in latitude.
The new ocean remained calm all the time of the transition, for which it received the nickname Quiet from Magellan's team. So it stuck with him. In total, we walked 17,000 kilometers along the water surface of this ocean. This voyage lasted almost four months. All supplies ran out, the team was simply dying of exhaustion.
Islands in the ocean
On March 6, 1521, the flotilla sighted the island of Guam from the Mariana Islands group. The Pacific crossing is over. Magellan still missed and went north of the Moluccas. (Perhaps deliberately to avoid accidental collision with the Portuguese). The islands were inhabited and they knew about the existence of Europeans. Here the sailors ate and recovered their strength. And Magellan for some reason got involved in the internal political strife of local leaders.
Fernando Magellan's last fight. This is how the great navigator died
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His body remained with the islanders, it is not known how they dealt with it. Left without a leader, the Spaniards were forced to urgently retreat. The chronicler of the expedition, Antonio Pigafetta, described in some detail how the great navigator died, with João Serran and Duarte Barbosa at the head of the expedition.
It is not clear why it was necessary to spend so much time and effort on different Mariana and Philippine Islands, when the goal - Spice Islands, was so close? If Magellan went directly to the Moluccas, loaded up with spices, provisions and departed back in the same way as he came, then he would 100% complete the task. But alas!
The expedition still visited the Moluccas and managed to fill the holds with spices. But the Spaniards learned that the Portuguese king ordered to detain Magellan, and to seize the ships as war booty. There was no strength for the war. The ships were dilapidated. The Concepcienne was burned down because it was impossible to repair. Only Trinidad and Victoria remained. The Trinidad was patched up and headed back straight east towards Panama. Having fallen into a strip of headwinds, he returned and was captured by the Portuguese.
Back to Spainor guerrilla circumnavigation "Victoria"
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Moreover, they decided to leave the Moluccas in vegetable gardens, as the partisans took a steep south in order to walk away from the Portuguese trade routes. "Victoria" boldly crossed the Indian Ocean at its widest point, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, walked north for 2 months and June 9, 1522 year reached the Cape Verde Islands. It was a Portuguese fiefdom, but the Spaniards had no other way out - absolutely all supplies of water and food ran out. I had to resort to a trick.
Here is what Pigafetta writes:
“On Wednesday, July 9, we reached the St. James Islands and immediately sent the boat to the coast for provisions, inventing a story for the Portuguese that we had lost our foremast under the equator (in fact, we lost it at the Cape of Good Hope) , and during this time that we restored it, our captain-general left with two other ships for Spain. By placing them in this way, and also giving them our goods, we managed to get from them two boats loaded with rice ... When our boat again approached the shore for rice, thirteen crew members were detained along with the boat. Fearing that some of the caravels would not detain us as well, we hurriedly moved on. "
Victoria's victorious return
September 6, 1522 "Victoria" made it to Spain. 18 barely living sailors and only one ship out of five returned to their home harbor. This ship was the first in the world to sail around the world, leaving behind three world oceans and more than fifty thousand kilometers.
Later, in 1525, four more of the 55 members of the crew of the ship "Trinidad" were brought to Spain. Also, those members of the "Victoria" team who were captured by the Portuguese during their forced stay on the Cape Verde Islands were ransomed from Portuguese captivity.
The results of the expedition of Magellan
This first circumnavigation of the world in the history of mankind was the main and last proof of the sphericity of the earth.
The expedition proved that going west, can reach the Moluccas. Thus, these islands (as well as other territories), as it were, automatically passed into the sphere of influence of Spain, according to (*).
The sale of the cargo brought by "Victoria" not only covered all the expenses for the expedition, but, despite the loss of four of the five ships, gave a significant profit.
Unlike previous expeditions, the report on Magellan's expedition was published and detailed travel records of Antonio Pigafetta were published.
Lost day
In addition, it was the Victoria team who first discovered the “lost day”. The logbook was carefully kept on board. Not a single day was missed. But since there were no chronometers on ships at that time, the time was measured with hourglasses - bottles. If they had a reliable mechanical watch, already in the Pacific Ocean it would have become clear that the clock was showing something wrong - if it was noon in Spain, then the sun was already setting in the Strait of Magellan. But there were no chronometers, a gradual change in the standard time is impossible to notice. In sum, it turned out that the members of the expedition had lost the whole day. And nevertheless, as it turned out, the members of the expedition "lost", or rather, won the whole day. Thus, the travelers returned one day younger! This phenomenon is now described in school textbooks, and then caused great bewilderment among everyone.
The first voyage around the world under the direction of Fernand Magellan began on September 20, 1519 and ended on September 6, 1522. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe expedition was in many ways a repetition of the idea of \u200b\u200bColumbus: to reach Asia, following to the west. The colonization of America had not yet managed to bring significant profits, unlike the colonies of the Portuguese in India, and the Spaniards wanted to sail to the Spice Islands themselves and get benefits. By that time, it had become clear that America was not Asia, but Asia was supposed to lie relatively close to the New World.
In March 1518, Fernand Magellan and Rui Faleiro, a Portuguese astronomer, came to Seville in the Council of India, and declared that the Moluccas, the most important source of Portuguese wealth, should belong to Spain, since they are located in the western, Spanish hemisphere (according to the treaty of 1494), but it is necessary to penetrate these "Spice Islands" by the western route, so as not to arouse the suspicions of the Portuguese, through the South Sea, open and annexed by Balboa to the Spanish possessions. And Magellan convincingly argued that between the Atlantic Ocean and the South Sea there must be a strait south of Brazil.
After a long bargaining with the royal advisers, who had negotiated a substantial share of the expected income and concessions from the Portuguese, an agreement was concluded: Charles 1 pledged to equip five ships and provide the expedition with supplies for two years. Before sailing, Faleiro abandoned the venture, and Magellan became the sole chief of the expedition.
Magellan personally supervised the loading and packaging of food, goods and equipment. As provisions were taken on board crackers, wine, olive oil, vinegar, salty fish, jerky pork, beans and beans, flour, cheese, honey, almonds, anchovies, raisins, prunes, sugar, quince jam, capers, mustard, beef and rice. In case of collisions, there were about 70 cannons, 50 arquebusses, 60 crossbows, 100 sets of armor and other weapons. For trade, they took matter, metal products, women's jewelry, mirrors, bells and mercury (it was used as a medicine).
Magellan raised the admiral's flag on the Trinidad. The Spaniards were appointed captains of the remaining ships: Juan Cartagena - "San Antonio"; Gaspar Quesada - Concepcion; Luis Mendoza - Victoria and Juan Serrano - Santiago. The staff of this flotilla numbered 293 people, there were another 26 freelance crew members on board, among them a young Italian Antonio Pigafetga, a historian of the expedition. An international team set off on the first round the world voyage: in addition to the Portuguese and Spaniards, it included representatives of more than 10 nationalities from different countries of Western Europe.
On September 20, 1519, the flotilla, led by Magellan, left the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda (the mouth of the Guadalquivir River).
One of the leaders of the island of Mactan Lapu-Lapu opposed the new order and did not intend to surrender to the rule of Humabon. Magellan organized a military expedition against him. He wanted to demonstrate to the local people the power of Spain. The battle turned out to be unprepared. While the Europeans were in Cebu, local residents had the opportunity to study European weapons and their weaknesses. They moved quickly, preventing the Europeans from aiming, and attacked the sailors in their legs unprotected by armor.
Thus ended the first circumnavigation, which proved the sphericity of the earth. For the first time, Europeans crossed the largest of the oceans, the Pacific, opening a passage from the Atlantic. The expedition found out that a much larger part of the earth's surface is occupied not by land, as Christopher Columbus and his contemporaries thought, but by the oceans. The strait and two star clusters described by the historiographer and expedition member Antonio Pifacetta were named after Magellan. Magellan, a novel by Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, is dedicated to the fate of Magellan and his daring feat.
27.04.1521
Fernão de Magalhães
Great Navigator
Pioneer
news and events
The Zaragoza Treaty on Spheres of Influence signed between Spain and Portugal
In the city of Zaragoza on April 22, 1529, an agreement was signed between Spain and Portugal on the division of spheres of influence in the Eastern Hemisphere. This document became an addition to the famous Tordesillas. The new treaty defined a similar line in the west.
The ship "Victoria" completed the first round the world voyage
The sailing ship "Victoria" reached Spain on September 6, 1522, thus becoming the only ship of Magellan's flotilla to return victoriously to Seville, and the first ship in the world to circumnavigate the globe. There were eighteen survivors on the ship.
The three southernmost islands of the Mariana group were discovered
Ferdinand Magellan is a Portuguese and Spanish navigator who made the first trip around the world. He became the first European to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Magellan's expedition on March 6, 1521, discovered the three southernmost Philippine islands in the western Pacific.
Magellan opened a new path to the Pacific Ocean named - the Strait of Magellan
Magellan's flotilla entered the new strait on October 21, 1520, and began to slowly advance among its winding shores, until an unknown ocean opened up in front of the flagship. He met the sailors with silence. Magellan called this ocean the Pacific.
Fernand Magellan went on a trip around the world
The navigator Fernand Magellan on September 20, 1519 departed from the port of Sanlúcar at the head of a flotilla of five ships in the direction of Rio de Janeiro. He, like Columbus, was a supporter of the idea that the earth is round, therefore, a trip to the west will lead to the east. Moving south, Magellan discovered the entire Atlantic coast of South America. When crossing the Atlantic, the navigator used his signaling system for the first time, and the ships of his flotilla never lost sight of each other.
Fernand Magellan was born on October 8, 1480, in the area of \u200b\u200bSabroza, province of Vila Real, in Portugal. Magellan's father was Rui or Rodrigue de Magalhães, who was at one time mayor of the fortress of Aveiro, his mother was Alda de Mosquita. In addition to Magellan, they had four children. In his youth, Magellan was a page with Queen Leonora of Aviz, wife of João II.
A poor but noble nobleman in 1492-1504 served as a page in the retinue of the Portuguese queen. Studied astronomy, navigation and cosmography. In 1505-1513 he participated in naval battles with Arabs, Indians and Moors, showed himself to be a brave warrior, for which he received the rank of sea captain. Due to false accusations, he was denied further promotion and in 1517, having resigned, he moved to Spain. Having passed to the service of King Charles I, he proposed a round-the-world voyage project, which was adopted after a long bargaining.
In September 1519, five small ships - "Trinidad", "San Antonio", "Santiago", "Concepcion" and "Victoria" with a crew of 265 people went to sea. When crossing the Atlantic, Magellan used his signaling system, and the diverse ships of his flotilla never parted. On November 29, the flotilla reached the coast of Brazil, and on December 26, 1519 - La Plata, surveyed the bay for about a month, but did not find a passage to the South Sea.
The ships entered a narrow winding strait on October 21, later named after Magellan. On the southern shore of the strait, sailors saw fires. Magellan called this land Tierra del Fuego. A month later, with a small strait was passed by three ships, the 4th ship "San Antonio" deserted and returned to Spain, where the captain slandered Magellan, accusing him of treason to the king.
Magellan on November 28 with the remaining three ships sailed into an unknown ocean, circling America from the south along the strait they opened. The weather remained good, and Magellan called the ocean Pacific. For almost 4 months, a very difficult voyage lasted, when people ate rusks dust mixed with worms, drank rotten water, ate cowhide, sawdust and ship rats. Starvation and scurvy began, and many died. Magellan, although he was not tall, was distinguished by great physical strength and self-confidence. Crossing the ocean, he traveled at least 17 thousand kilometers, but met only two islets - one in the Tuamotu archipelago, the other in the Line group. He also discovered two inhabited islands - Guam and Rota from the Mariana group. On March 15, the expedition approached the large Philippine archipelago. With the help of weapons, the decisive and brave Magellan forced the ruler of the island of Cebu to submit to the Spanish king.
As the patron saint of the natives baptized by him, Magellan intervened in the internecine war and was killed in a skirmish near the island of Mactan. The ruler of Cebu invited part of the crew to a farewell feast, treacherously attacked the guests and killed 24 people. Only 115 people remained on the three ships - there were not enough people, and the ship "Concepsion" had to be burned. For 4 months the ships wandered in search of spice islands. From the island of Tidore, the Spaniards bought a lot of cheap cloves, nutmeg, etc., and split up: the Victoria with Captain Juan Elcano moved west around Africa, and the Trinidad, which needed repairs, remained. Captain Elcano, fearing a meeting with the Portuguese, kept much south of the usual routes. He was the first to pass in the central part of the Indian Ocean and, having discovered only the island of Amsterdam, proved that the "southern" continent does not reach this latitude. September 6, 1522 "Victoria" with 18 people on board completed the "Around the World", which lasted 1081 days. Later, another 12 crew members of the Victoria returned, and in 1526 - five from the Trinidad. The sale of the brought spices more than covered all the costs of the expedition.