Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese navigator and explorer who is known for completing the first circumnavigation of the earth. His voyage is particularly interesting because of the discoveries that were made along the way: he discovered a previously unknown strait while sailing past America and proved once and for all that the world is not flat. In just 50 minutes, you will find out how his actions shaped the way people thought about the planet for centuries to come and understand his profound influence on the study of geography.
This straightforward and informative book provides a thorough discussion of the key moments in Magellan’s epic journey, including the discovery of the Strait of Magellan and the proof that the earth is round. It also features a full biography, a valuable introduction to the political, social and economic context and an evaluation of the impact of the expedition, giving you all the essential information about this enlightening 16th-century voyage.
About Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a navigator and explorer who was born in around 1480 to a family of minor nobles. He acquired a taste for adventure from a young age: he went on his first voyage in 1505 and, a few years later, set off to Moluccas as part of a fleet under Afonso de Albuquerque (the Portuguese governor in India). Although he never reached his destination, his friend Francisco Serrão did, and this spurred Magellan on to greater adventures. He began drawing up the plans for his most famous voyage some time afterwards, but he did not set off until 1519. Unfortunately, the explorer was killed in a battle in the Philippines in 1521, without managing to accomplish his voyage. His second-in-command completed the journey.
This clear and accessible 42-page book is structured as follows:
- Introduction to Ferdinand Magellan
- Biography of Ferdinand Magellan
- First experiences at sea
- A journey without a happy ending
- Political, social and economic context
- Gold and spices: the motivation behind great discoveries
- Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama and the division of the world
- Reaching the Moluccas from the west
- The expedition
- In search of a passage
- The Strait of Magellan and the endless Pacific
- The Philippines: the tragedy of Magellan
- A chaotic return
- Impact of the expedition
- The Earth is round!
- Wednesday or Thursday?
- An immense planet
- The empire on which the sun never sets
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