Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain, led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth.

The expedition's primary goal was to find a westward route to the Spice Islands (Moluccas) for Spain.

The fleet of five ships set sail from Spain in 1519.

After crossing the Atlantic, the expedition navigated the treacherous strait at the southern tip of South America, which is now named the Strait of Magellan.

Magellan then led the first European crossing of the Pacific Ocean, a long and arduous journey marked by starvation and scurvy.

Magellan himself was killed in a local conflict in the Philippines in 1521 and did not complete the entire voyage.

Command of the expedition was eventually taken over by Juan Sebastián Elcano.

Only one of the original five ships, the Victoria, successfully completed the circumnavigation.

The Victoria returned to Spain in 1522 with only 18 of the original 270 crew members.

The expedition provided the first definitive empirical proof that the Earth was round.