Ferdinand Magellan (Sabrosa, Portugal, spring 1480 - Cebu, Philippines, 27 April 1521; Language Portuguese: Fernao de Magalhães; Spanish: Fernando de Magallanes) was a Portuguese sea explorer who sailed on behalf of Spain.


Magellan was the first to sail from Europe westwards to Asia, the first European to sail the Pacific Ocean, and the first to lead an expedition around the globe aimed at. Although Magellan himself was killed by Datu Lapu-Lapu in the Philippines in his sojourn in the East Indies before heading to Europe, eighteen members of the crew and the fleet had returned to Spain in 1522, once around the earth.


When humans first went to the moon, they planned with mathematical precision is high to where they are going and how they get there and they can communicate with Earth. But when Ferdinand Magellan left Spain in 1519 with five small ships made of wood, most of whom are sized along approximately 21 meters, similar to a modern semitrailer vehicle, they set sail for places unknown. And they are really trying to be alone.


Classified as navigation performance bravest of all time, the voyage of Magellan is a milestone in the history of the Great Age of Exploration-century marked by courage and fear, joy and tragedy, God and Mammon. It was thrilling to watch the story of this remarkable man opened the door of the world as well as the historic journey.

Background to the Palace aide Unknown, Undaunted Seaman

Magellan is a family of noble family, then, according to local custom, Fernando has been recruited since his youth as an aide at the royal palace. Here, in addition to education, he learned to direct the achievements of men like Christopher Columbus, ang just returned from the United setelahmencari sea shipping routes in the west to the Spice Islands (Indonesia), which became a byword. Some time later, the young Fernando aspires to perceive itself sizzle screen flutter in the breeze and sea water spray on her face in the ocean is still a virgin.
Sadly, the master of Fernando, King John, was murdered in 1495 and Prince Manuel, who is more interested in a property otherwise than exploration, took the throne. For some reason, Manuel does not like Fernando who was then aged 15 years and for years to ignore his request to go to sea. But when Vasco da Gama returned from India carrying spices, Manuel sniff the aroma of wealth abound. Finally, in 1505, he allowed the Magellan set off East Africa and India in a fleet of Portugal to help take over the spice trade from Arab merchants. After that, he sailed farther east to Malacca along with other military expeditions.


During a dispute in Morocco in 1513, Magellan suffered serious injuries in the knee. As a result, she became lame for life. He asked Manuel to raise retirement. Manuel is not reduced but hatred, no matter how big the exploration, sacrifice and courage of Magellan, so then he still lives in poverty despite the title of nobility.
In the most difficult period in the life of Magellan, he was visited by an old friend, the famous navigator, Joao de Lisboa. They both discuss how to reach the Spice Islands by going to the southwest, through el paso, a strait that rumor is a shortcut through South America and then across the ocean that recently discovered by Balboa when he crossed the isthmus of Panama. They believe that on the other side of the ocean lie the Spice Islands.

Magellan is now very eager to do what Columbus failed to do-find a western route to the East, which he believes is shorter than the eastern route. But he needs financial support. So, still smarting from the wrath of Manuel, he did what Columbus himself did a few years earlier, he asked for support of the king of Spain.


Supporting the King of Spain, King of Portugal Blocks

With wide-open maps, Magellan presents his opinion to the young ruler of Spain, Charles I, who is very interested in a western route to the Spice Islands, Magellan because it will close the trade routes of Portugal. In addition, the Spice Islands, Magellan tells him that may actually be in the region of Spain, not Portugal!
Charles assured. He gave Magellan five old ships to be repaired and prepared for the expedition, he became captain-general of the fleet, and promises him a share of profit from spices to take home. Magellan began working immediately. But because of the efforts of King Manuel scheming to sabotage the project, it takes more than one year before the fleet is finally ready for the historic voyage.


Greatest of All Time Achievement Navigation

On 20 September 1519, San Antonio, Concepción, Victoria, and Santiago, the largest to the smallest-carrier followed Magellan, Trinidad, the second largest ship, as they set sail for South America. On December 13, they reached Brazil, and staring Henrique, or Sugarloaf Mountain, an impressive, they entered the bay of Rio de Janeiro a wonderful time to repair and fill supplies. Then they continued south into what is now Argentina, always searching for el paso, the elusive path that leads to another ocean. Meanwhile, the air gets colder and icebergs appear. Finally, on March 31, 1520, Magellan decided to spend the winter in the port of San Julián is cold.
The voyage now takes six times longer than the voyage Columbus sailed the Atlantic Ocean and the first-strait have not seen one yet! Morale began as cold weather in San Julián, and men, including some of the captains and officers, are desperate to go home. It is not surprising that the uprising. However, thanks to a swift and decisive action on the part of Magellan, it is thwarted and the two leaders are killed.


The presence of foreign ships in the harbor must have attracted a strong local-and large-bodied. Feel like a dwarf compared to these giants, the visitors said that the mainland Patagonia, from the Spanish word meaning "big foot"-to this day. They also observed a "sea wolves of the calf, as well as black and white swans are swimming under water, eat fish, and has a beak like a crow '. Of course none other than the seals and penguins!
Polar latitudes tend to experience a violent storm suddenly, and before the winter ended, the fleet suffered its first casualty of the small Santiago. However, fortunately the crew can be rescued from a sinking ship. After that, the four ships which still survive, like a small moth wings that were struck in the middle of the frozen ocean currents and not go away, struggling desperately to head south to colder waters, until October 21. Sailing in the pouring rain that freezes, all eyes are on a gap in the west. El paso? Yes! Finally, they turned and entered the strait later known as the Strait of Magellan! However, even this moment of victory is tarnished. San Antonio intentionally disappeared in the maze of straits and returned to Spain.

The third ship that still survive, diimpit by a narrow gulf between the snow-covered cliffs, with persistent sailing through the winding strait that. Brand watched so many fires in the south, possibly from the camp of the Indians, so they called the land of Tierra del Fuego, "Land of Fire".

 Great Trials in the Pacific Ocean

After five weeks of torture, they set sail for an ocean so calm that Magellan named the Pacific. The men prayed, sang hymns, and celebrate the conquest of it by firing a cannon. But the happiness was short-lived brand. They confronted a greater disaster than ever before, because these waters was not a small ocean-sea as they had thought of this as if endless, and they get hungry, the weak, and the more the pain.


Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian, a tough, make semcam journal. He writes, "On Wednesday, the twenty-eighth November 1520, we ... enter the Pacific Ocean, and for three months and twenty days we were taking in provisions ... We just ate old biscuit reduced to powder, and full of maggots , and foul smelling due to rat droppings on it ... and we drank water that was yellow and stinking. We also eat cow leather ..., gergaju powder, and the rats, each worth a half pieces of gold, but not much can we capture ". So, while fresh trade winds fill their sails and clear water crept under their keel, these men lay dying of scurvy. Nineteen people died by the time they reached the Mariana Islands, on March 6, 1521.


But here, because it clashed with the islanders, they only managed to get a little fresh food before leaving. Then, on March 16, they saw the Philippines. Finally, finally this guy gets all the good food, rest, and restore health and strength.


A dream-collapse tragedy

As a deeply religious man, Magellan took a lot of local penduuduk and their rulers to the Catholic religion. But the spirit also become corrupted. He became involved in disputes between tribes and, with only 60 men, striking about 1,500 natives, with the belief that the crossbow, an ancient rifle, and God would ensure his victory. Instead, he and a number of his subordinates were killed. Magellan is about 41 years. Pigafetta faithful lament, "They killed a reflection, lights, entertainer, and our true guide '. A few days later, about 27 officers who only watch from their ship, killed by the chiefs who had previously friendly.


When Magellan was killed, he was in a familiar environment. Slightly to the south lie the Spice Islands and to the west, Malacca, where he had fought in 1511. If, as predicted by some historians, he sailed to the Philippines after the battle at Malacca, then indeed he has traveled around the globe, though, of course, not in one go. He has reached the Philippines from the east and west.


Undermining disaster Return Shipping

Because now the number of cruise crew is low, it is not possible to sail with three ships, so they sinking Concepción and sailed with two ships that were left to their final destination, the Spice Islands. Then, after filling the charge with the spices, the two ships separated. However, the crew of the ship Trinidad was captured by Portugal and imprisoned.


However, Victoria, under the command of former rebel Juan Sebastián de Elcano, escaped. While avoiding all the ports except for one, they take the risk of passing the Cape of Good Hope route around Portugal. However, without stopping to fill the supply is an expensive strategy. When they finally reached Spain on 6 September 1522-three years since their departure, only 18 men were sick and helpless survivors. However, it can be argued that they were the first to sail around the earth. Juan Sebastián de Elcano was a hero. What an amazing thing, cargo weighing 26 tons of spices Victoria defray the costs of the whole expedition!
"" Fernando de Magellan-man Opening the World ""


Remember the name Magellan Continues

Over the years, Magellan did not get a proper place in history. Distorted by the report of the mutinous captains, Spaniards tarnish his reputation, saying that he was harsh and incompetent. The Portuguese label him a traitor. Sadly, the record disappears when he died, probably destroyed by the people who will be harmed by it. But thanks to the persistent Pigafetta, one of 18 navigator who survived it, and about 5 other members of the expedition, Magellan name of a place in world history.


In time, the history of changing his judgment, and today is the name of Magellan had the honor it deserves. A strait bearing his name, as well as the Magellanic Clouds, two galaxies that escaped to the south which was first described by his crew and spacecraft Magellan (Ferdinand Magellan name in English, Ferdinand Magellan). The latter, of course we owe the name of the world's largest ocean-the Pacific Ocean to Magellan.
Indeed, "no man is so important voyage to the moon landing of Apollo 11, 447 years later," wrote Richard Humble, in The Voyage of Magellan. Why Magellan voyage so important? First, it proves that Americans are not a part of and not contiguous with Asia, as Columbus had thought. Second, at the end of the cruise, one day difference in the need to set a date to show the international date line. And lastly, as the science writer Isaac Asimov, it shows that the earth is round in harmony with the Bible which he believed. The Bible itself has revealed more than 2250 years. (Isaiah 40:22; compare Job 26:7)


Congratulations

When a ship that survived, Victoria, returned to port after completing a trip around the world the first time, only 18 men of the 237 men who were on board early departure. Among survivors, there were two Italians, Antonio Pigafetta and Martino de Judicibus. Martino de Judicibus (Spanish: Martín de Judicibus) adalan people of Genoa  which acts as the Head Waiter. It works by Ferdinand Magellan on its historic journey to find a western route to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. [2] The history of his journey immortalized in the nominative registration Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain. The family name is called by the Latin patronimik proper, namely: "de Judicibus". At first he was assigned to the caravel Concepción, one of Magellan's five Spanish fleet. Martino de Judicibus start this expedition with the title of captain.