Ferdinand Magellan

Before he led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1521) was a Portuguese sailor known for his incredible navigation skills. After years of sailing, he was chosen to lead a crew to circle the globe—a trip that no other ship had ever completed. Although Magellan died in combat in the Philippines before he could finish the voyage, his ship went on to complete the first circumnavigation of the world, and he is still known as one of the greatest explorers. However, as historians today note, many of the places that Magellan “discovered” already had people living there, rooting his fame in colonialism. This middle-grade biography, part of the First Names series, tackles the legacy—both good and bad—of this famous explorer.