The First Circumnavigation of the Earth (1519–1522)

Hello. My name is Antonio Pigafetta, and I love big adventures. My good friend, Ferdinand Magellan, had a wonderful idea. He wanted to sail in a big ship all the way around the world. What an exciting thought. We worked very hard to get our five ships ready for the long trip. We packed lots of food and made sure the sails were strong. On September 20th, 1519, we waved goodbye to all our friends in Spain and our amazing adventure began. The wind pushed our sails, and we floated out onto the big, blue sea, ready to explore.

Our ships sailed across the giant ocean for many, many days. The water was so blue and sparkly. Every day was a new surprise. We saw shiny fish with wings that jumped out of the water and looked like they were flying. At night, the sky was filled with brand new stars I had never seen before. They twinkled just for us. The wind was our friend, making a soft whooshing sound as it pushed our boats forward. We visited new lands with tall, green trees and colorful birds that sang beautiful songs. We met friendly people who smiled and waved at us. The world was so much bigger and more wonderful than I ever imagined.

After a very long, long time, we finally saw our home again. It took us three whole years to sail around the world. Only one of our ships, the Victoria, made it all the way back home to Spain. We arrived on September 6th, 1522. We felt so happy and proud. We did it. We were the first people to ever sail all the way around the world. Our journey showed everyone that the world is not flat like a pancake. It is a big, beautiful, round ball, and it is a wonderful place for big adventures.