Magellan's Voyage and the Era of Global Trade

One of the greatest achievements of the Age of Exploration led to an explosion in innovation.

The Magellan expedition — first to circumnavigate the globe — sailed with five ships from Sanlúcar, Spain on this date, 500 years ago today. Only one ship, Victoria, returned, almost exactly three years later. Magellan himself died in combat in the Philippines, which he discovered. — RDM

September 20, 2019

Analysis

500 years ago, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out with a fleet of five ships on behalf of the Spanish crown. The intent was to conquer the seas and find an alternative western route to the Far East to maintain the spice trade. On Nov. 1, 1520, after more than a year of sailing and a failed mutiny, three ships entered the eastern opening of the passage now known as the Strait of Magellan. Thirty-eight days later, after the crew had navigated the 530-kilometer (373-mile) maze, they emerged on the other side to find another vast body of water, which Magellan dubbed "Mar Pacifico." Having successfully navigated the strait, a small fraction of Magellan's crew managed to…