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All About Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan (, ;, ; c
1480 � 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer who became known for having organised and captained the first expedition from Europe to Asia by the west, rounding the Americas by south and crossing the Pacific Ocean for the first time, which resulted in the first circumnavigation of the Earth
The circumnavigation was completed later by the Spanish Basque Juan Sebasti�n Elcano
Magellan is also known for making the first periplus around the Earth, through his voyages from Europe to the Far East, and to west, towards the Malay Archipelago
He was born in a still disputed location in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" (modern Maluku Islands in Indonesia).
Magellan's expedition of 1519�1522 became the first expedition to sail from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean (then named "peaceful sea" by Magellan; the passage being made via the Strait of Magellan), and the first to cross the Pacific
His expedition completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth
Magellan did not complete the entire voyage, as he was killed during the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines
(For background see Exploration of the Pacific.)
The Magellanic Penguin was named for him, as he was the first European to note it; other memorials are the Magellanic clouds, now known to be nearby dwarf galaxies; the twin lunar craters of Magelhaens and Magelhaens A; and the Martian crater of Magelhaens.