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500 years ago, on September 20, 1519, five ships sailed fromSpain. As the ships set out across the Atlantic Ocean, only one man knew theirgoal. Magellan, a Portuguese sailor, hoped to find a passage from the Atlanticto the Pacific Ocean. If Magellan could find it, he would shorten the journeyto the Spice Islands across the Pacific. European traders wanted to reach theseislands. There they could buy valuable spices. Magellan and his crew were goingto trade for cinnamon and cloves. But he wasn’t even sure the passage existed.
In those days, there was no such thing as radio or GPS devices.There were no lights except candles and lanterns. And the ships had no source of power exceptfor wind and rowing. In the dark, the ships communicated with each other bytorchlight. None of the ships had accurate maps or clocks. And they had no wayto tell what weather was coming. With no refrigeration, food could spoilquickly.
Three hard months passed. Using the stars for guidance, Magellan andhis crews finally made it across the Atlantic to the coast of Brazil.
Then they headed south, along the coast. They were looking for thepassage. But winter had come. For the safety of his men, Magellan decided tostop the search until spring.
FOUND!
When the worst of the winter had passed,Magellan and his men sailedsouth once more. At long last, 13 months after leaving Spain, Magellan foundthe passage he had been looking for.Thirty-eight days later, they reached the Pacific. Magellan wept at thesight. He gave this “new” ocean a name.He called it Pacific, which means calm, peaceful.
They steered into the Pacific where no European had sailed before.Without strong winds, they drifted in the heat. Their drinking water went bad.Without food, the sailors ate rats they caught on the ships. Many men fell ill;many died.
At last, the ships found land where they could anchor. They hadreached the Philippine Islands. They were not far from their destination, theSpice Islands. Sadly, Magellan was killed there during a battle.

HEADING HOME
With their leader gone, the sailors’ spirits sank. But they sailedon and finally reached the Spice Islands. The remaining sailors traded clothfor cinnamon and cloves. Then they began the journey home.
Three years and one month after leaving Spain, only one of the fiveships reached home. Out of more than 200 men who set out, only 18 survived.
Although Magellan didn’t live to celebrate, he is remembered todayas the leader of the first around-the-world journey in history. Magellan’svoyage not only proved that the world was round, but also that it was possibleto sail all the way around it. Many people believe that Magellan’s voyage wasthe most remarkable in history.