Despite Bad Map, Magellan Still Made It Around World

Ferdinand Magellan (a Portuguese sea captain sailing for Spain) had an important goal when he left the town of Seville on the 10th of August, 1519: Find a westward route to the Spice (Maluku) Islands. He did not personally achieve that goal, but his crew (led by Juan Sebastian Elcano) did.

Despite a grossly inaccurate map, and ubelievably wretched conditions aboard ship, remnants of Magellan's crew circumnavigated the world in a ship called Victoria. Their expedition lasted about three years.

Magellan (1480-1521) never planned to sail around the globe. His assignment - to reach the Spice Islands, also known as the Moluccas (or Maluku Islands), thereby proving they belonged to Spain - already had more-than-enough challenges.

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