Age of Discovery

Hello there. My name is Ferdinand Magellan, and the sea has been my greatest teacher. Ever since I was a boy in Portugal, I dreamed of adventure, of salty air on my face and the creak of a ship beneath my feet. In my time, the most wonderful treasures in the world were spices—cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. They came from faraway islands known as the Spice Islands, but reaching them was a long and dangerous journey east, around Africa. I had a different idea, a bolder one. I studied maps and globes for years, and I became convinced that the world was round. If it was, I thought, couldn't we reach the East by sailing west? When I presented my plan to the king of my own country, he laughed at me. But I refused to give up. I took my maps and my globe to the young King of Spain, Charles I. I showed him my route, a path no one had ever taken. I could see the spark of adventure in his eyes. He believed in me. He gave me five ships and a crew to make my dream a reality. My heart pounded with excitement. We were going to prove to the world that it was round.

On September 20th, 1519, our adventure began. Our five ships—the Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepción, Victoria, and Santiago—sailed out of a Spanish harbor with flags flying high. The feeling of heading into the vast, unknown Atlantic Ocean was both thrilling and terrifying. The waves looked like moving mountains, and some storms were so fierce they tossed our wooden ships around like tiny toys. Weeks turned into months. Our food supplies started to dwindle, and the fresh water turned slimy. Some of my crew grew frightened and angry, even trying to take over the ships and turn back. But I knew we had to press on. Our biggest challenge was finding a way through the massive continent of South America. We sailed down its coast for what felt like an eternity, exploring every river and bay. Finally, after more than a year of searching, on October 21st, 1520, we found it: a narrow, winding waterway cutting through the land. It was treacherous, with sharp cliffs and powerful currents, but it was our path. After carefully navigating the strait that now bears my name, we sailed out into a new body of water. It was so enormous and calm that I named it the Pacific Ocean, which means “peaceful.” We had found the westward passage.

Sailing across the Pacific was the hardest part of our journey. The ocean was much, much bigger than any map had shown. For ninety-nine days, we saw nothing but an endless blue horizon. Our food was gone. We had to eat hard, worm-eaten biscuits and drink foul-smelling water. Many of my brave men became sick. It was a time of great struggle, but we held onto hope. At long last, we spotted land and reached the islands that are today called the Philippines. It was here, in a battle on April 27th, 1521, that my own journey ended. I did not get to see the Spice Islands or my home again, but my mission was not over. My dedicated crew, now led by a captain named Juan Sebastián Elcano, sailed on without me. They reached the Spice Islands and loaded the last remaining ship, the Victoria, with fragrant cloves. Then, they continued west, sailing all the way around Africa. On September 6th, 1522, nearly three years after we left, the little Victoria limped back into a Spanish harbor. Of the more than two hundred men who started with me, only eighteen returned. But they had done the impossible.

Though I did not make it home, the voyage was a success beyond my wildest dreams. The return of the Victoria proved what I had always believed: the Earth is indeed round. Our journey forever changed the maps of the world, showing the true size of the oceans and connecting continents in a way no one had understood before. We opened up a new age of exploration. My story is about more than just sailing; it is about the power of a big idea and the courage to chase it, no matter how many people tell you it cannot be done. It’s about being curious enough to look beyond the horizon and brave enough to sail into the unknown. I hope it inspires you to be an explorer in your own life, always asking questions and daring to discover something new.