A Spanish-funded fleet under Ferdinand Magellan departed in 1519 seeking a westward route to the Spice Islands, crossing the Pacific and reaching the Moluccas before the surviving ship, commanded by Juan Sebastian Elcano after Magellan's death in the Philippines, completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1522. The voyage proved the Americas were separate from Asia and demonstrated a practical, if costly, all-sea route to the spice-producing islands. Only a fraction of the original crew and ships survived.
Relevance to Trade History
Confirmed the scale of the Pacific Ocean and strengthened Spanish claims to a share of the lucrative spice trade.
Read the full story in our article The Maritime Routes of Southeast Asia.
Source: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. See our Sources & Methodology page for how we select and verify references.