The initial goal of the voyage was to secure funding to explore the possibility of a southwestern passage around South America to China and the Spice Islands (now part of Indonesia). After crossing the Atlantic, wintering in Patagonia, and suppressing a mutiny, the expedition found and transited the Straits of Magellan in 1520. After crossing the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines, Magellan was killed during a raid on the MactanchiefLapulapu in 1521. The ship Victoria under Juan Sebastian Elcano—who began the expedition as a boatswain— took command of the expedition and sailed into the open Indian Ocean, avoided landing in South Africa despite the resulting starvation, and bluffed his way into resupply at the Cape Verde Islands before completing the first circumnavigation on 6 September 1522. Of the initial 270 crew members, only 18 sailors completed the entire journey.[1][2]
Timeline
1494
June 7: The Treaty of Tordesillas amends a series of earlier papal bulls to divide the newly discovered territories of the world between the Spanish and Portuguese Empires 370leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. Importantly, it provides for a Portuguese monopoly on trade around Africa but leaves open the possibility of Spanish exploration further west to the antimeridian of the division.
1514
Magellan was intent on finding a route to the Spice Islands. Accused of unlawfully trading with the Moors, the Portuguese king denied Magellan permission to embark on Portuguese adventures [3]
March 22: Charles issues the Titulo de Capitanes... approving the expedition under both Magellan and Ruy Faleiro,[4] giving Magellan power of 'rope and knife' over the men[5] and authority over newly discovered lands, and establishing a division of the profits upon its success. It is not expected at the time that the expedition would continue west into Portuguese territory to complete a circumnavigation. Magellan becomes a Spanish subject as part of the arrangement.[6]
1519
April 19: Charles issues the expedition's letters patent,[7] repeating his previous grants, naming Magellan and Faleiro captains general, and directing them to seek spices in the Moluccas.
August 10: Departure from Seville down the Guadalquivir River to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where the ships underwent further repairs, preparation, and provisioning.
April 1 and 2: Attempted mutiny of the Victoria, Concepcion, and San Antonio, deftly handled by Magellan. Louis de Mendoza killed, followed by the execution of De Quesada and marooning of De Cartagena. Alvaro de Mesquita becomes the captain of the San Antonio and Duarte Barbosa of the Victoria.
End of April: Santiago is sent on a mission to find the passage. The ship is caught in a storm and wrecked. Survivors return to Puerto San Julián. João Serrão becomes captain of the Concepcion.[12]
End of October: San Antonio, charged to explore Magdalen Sound, fails to return to the fleet, instead sails back to Spain under Estêvão Gomes who imprisoned captain de Mesquita. The ship arrives in Spain on May 21, 1521.
November 28: The fleet leaves the strait and enters the Pacific Ocean.[16]
When out in the Pacific, some of the crew get scurvy.
1521
January 24 or 25–28: Landfall on an uninhabited island, which Magellan names St Paul's (probably Puka-Puka). They stay for a few days before continuing on.[17][18]
March 16: Sighting of Zamal (Samar), one of the Philippine Islands. They landed on the uninhabited island of Humunu (Homonhon) where they encountered fishermen from the nearby island of Zuluan (Suluan). They traded supplies with the locals and learned the local culture and the names of nearby islands while their sick crew members recuperated.
March 28: They anchored off the island of Mazaua (Limasawa) where they met two rulers on a hunting expedition on the island, Rajah Kulambo and Rajah Siawi, of the Rajahnate of Butuan and Calagan (Surigao) respectively. Magellan and his crew spent a few days as the guests of the rulers.
April 3: The fleet sets off for Cebu, guided by the balangay warships of Rajah Kulambo.
April 7: Arrival at Zubu (Rajahnate of Cebu). Magellan starts converting natives to Christianity, including the raja Humabon.
April 27: Death of Magellan in the Battle of Mactan. Serrão and Barbosa are voted co-commanders and refuse to honor Magellan's will, manumitting his Malay slave Enrique. Afonso de Góis becomes captain of the Victoria.
May 1: At a banquet held by Humabon, Barbosa and 27 sailors including De Góis are massacred. Enrique escapes. Serrão escapes but is captured and killed. The fleet escapes to Bohol.
May 2: Without enough men to repair and man the three ships, the worm-infested Concepcion is burned. João Lopez Carvalho selected as captain general and commander of the Trinidad. Gonzalo Gómez de Espinosa becomes captain of the Victoria. The ships subsequently sail to Mindanao, Mapun, Palawan, and Brunei in search of supplies, abandoning sailors along the way.
September 21: Carvalho is replaced by Espinosa as captain general. Juan Sebastian Elcano becomes captain of Victoria.
November 8: The fleet finally arrives at Tidore in the Moluccas, purchasing tons of cloves.
December 21: Trinidad remains in Tidore for repairs while Victoria leaves west, sailing through the Sunda Strait and across the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope.
1522
January 25: Victoria reaches Timor and starts to cross the Indian Ocean.
April 6: Trinidad under the command of Espinosa leaves the Moluccas heading home sailing east. After five weeks, Espinosa decides to return to the Moluccas where he and his ship are captured by a Portuguese fleet under Antonio de Brito. However, the ship was wrecked during a storm.
May 22: Victoria passes the Cape of Good Hope and enters the Atlantic Ocean.
September 6: Victoria returns to Sanlúcar de Barrameda under the command of Elcano, two weeks shy of three years after setting sail.
September 8: Victoria arrives at Seville.
September 9: Elcano and the other first 17 European circumnavigators—each holding a candle—walk barefoot from the Victoria to the Minim convent of Our Lady of Victory of Triana in fulfillment of vows taken during their extremity.[19]
^Briney, Amanda (24 July 2019). "Biography of Ferdinand Magellan..."thoughtco.com. New York: Dotdash Meredith. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2021..
Walls y Merino; et al., eds. (1899), Primer Viaje Alrededor del Mundo...(PDF) (in Spanish), Madrid, archived(PDF) from the original on 2023-01-31, retrieved 2023-01-31{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link).
Charles I; Francisco de los Cobos (22 March 1518), "Titulo de Capitanes de la Armada á Magallanes y á Falero" (in Spanish), Valladolid: manuscript, pp. 171–172.
Charles I (19 April 1519), "Ordem do Rei de Espanha..." (in Spanish), Barcelona: manuscript, p. 173.
