Early Years:

Ferdinand was born in Sabrosa, Portugal in the year 1480. Ferdinand become an orphan at the age of ten when both of his parents passed away. He was taken in as a page to Queen Leonor because of her involvement with the Magellan family line. In the year 1505, Ferdinand enrolled in the navy. The navy at the time was led by Francisco de Almeida, Francisco was the very first navel representative of the Portuguese. He was enrolled in the navy for eight years, in which he fought many battles. In 1506 he fought in the Battle Of Cannanore. The Battle Of Cannanore took place off Cannanore harbour in India. The Portuguese had a decisive victory against the undermanned Mamluks.

The Spice Islands:

Ferdinand was part of two voyages to Moluccas (also known as the “Spice Islands”) in an attempt to discover profitable spices. The Portuguese were intent on trading spices as they were profitable and in high demand. The Portuguese brought back valuable spices such as cloves and nutmeg. Many nations sailed to Indonesia in search of spices. This caused discrepancies between the nations as many nations attempted to claim islands as their own. In 1512, Ferdinand became a military adviser, his job was to gather and deliver essential information about the “Spice Islands”. If any problems would arise such as confrontations with the Mamluks it was his job to asses all the possible options and put forward a military plan in order to deal with the issue. Ferdinand had a strong belief that the “Spice Islands” could be reached by sailing westward through what was then known as the “New World”. He brought up his suggestion with the Portuguese king, Manuel I. Much to Ferdinand’s disappointment his proposal was rejected. Ferdinand then went out in search of someone who would give his proposal a try. He sailed to Spain where he met up with Charles I, the king of Spain. Charles I took well to Ferdinand’s proposal and granted him a large amount of money in order to assist him in his expedition.

Above: Video Describing The Life & Discoveries Of Ferdinand Magellan