Ferdinand Magellan's Accomplishments

• Ferdinand Magellan was the first sea explorer to circumnavigate around the globe and prove that the Earth was a sphere, rather than a flat piece of land. He undertook this voyage with a fleet of five ships in September 1519. Though he was unable to complete the voyage, he is credited to be the first person in terms of the circumnavigation of the Earth. This is because he was the first one to initiate the voyage.
• During the onward journey, Magellan's fleet passed the Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago, through the mainland of South America. The strait between both these masses of land was named as the Strait of Magellan in his honor. This strait is also known by its other name the Magellanic Strait.
• The world's largest ocean, the Pacific Ocean, was named by Ferdinand Magellan. During the journey, the fleet was hit by a sudden storm and one of the ships was wrecked. After crossing the turbulent waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the remaining ships entered another ocean with still waters. Due to the apparent calmness of the water, Magellan named it Mar Pacifico (or the Pacific Ocean), on November 20, 1520.
• Magellan also discovered the Spice Islands, also known as the East Indies or Moluccas Islands, during the expedition, to his credit. The western route to India was also discovered by Magellan during one of his earlier voyages with D. Francisco de Almeida, the first viceroy of Portuguese India.
• During the voyage, he also spotted clouds, which were later named as the Magellanic clouds in the Eastern hemisphere. The Magellanic penguins were also first discovered by this eminent sailor, thereby making him the first European to spot these migratory birds. These birds can now be found in the islands near the Strait of Magellan.