On September 20, 1519, a fleet of five ships and 270 men commanded by Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain to find Indonesia's fabled "spice islands". A little over a year later, Magellan arrived at the strait separating mainland South America to the north and the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego to the south. It was this sea route - later known as the Strait of Magellan that would take him to the Pacific Ocean.
After 38 days navigating the treacherous strait, Magellan finally sighted ocean. It would take only a further 99 days to accomplish the westward crossing of the ocean waters so curiously calm that it was named "Pacific", from the Latin pacificus, meaning "tranquil". The Portuguese navigator had become the first European explorer to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic, but little did he realise that his life would soon end in the sprawling archipelago that would later be named after King Philip II of Spain.
When Magellan reached the Philippines on March 17, 1521, he quickly saw an opportunity to place the hospitable indigenous people under the authority of the Spanish king - and convert them to Catholicism. Cebu became the base of Magellan's exploration and conquests, with the local ruler, Rajah Humabon, giving him a warm reception and embracing Christianity. A month after Magellan's arrival, Humabon was christened Carlos Valderrama in honour of King Charles I of Spain, while his chief consort, Hara Humamay, was given the name Juana, after Charles' mother, Joanna of Castile. After her baptism, Queen Juana was presented with an image of the Child Jesus - Santo Niño - as a gesture of goodwill for accepting her new faith.
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Denne historien er fra AG 164-utgaven av ASIAN Geographic.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Mighty Yellow
Over 5,000 kilometres long and flowing through nine provinces and autonomous regions, the Yellow River is China's second largest, after the Yangtze, while its basin is deemed the cradle of Chinese civilisation
Wildlife Big Yellow Beauty
The popular "amelanistic" form of the Burmese python is considered among the most beautiful snakes - if that's your sort of thing
All That Glitters Is Gold
From Turkey to China, the yellow metal plays a central role in cultural practices and is coveted as a symbol of affluence and status
Chengdu Hotel Spotlight TRIKA TSANG INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
For an authentic taste of Tibet in the heart of Chengdu, the most luxurious option is the majestic Trika Tsang International Hotel.
Conservation Yellow in Peril
While the demand for use in traditional Chinese medicine is putting seahorses under pressure, it is damaging non-selective fishing that is driving depletion
Revealed Doctor Yellow
Japan Railways' special lemony Shinkansen is a rare sight to behold
History Spiritual Rebirth
During the Spanish Golden Age, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan achieved the first European navigation to Asia via the Pacific, arriving in the Philippines in 1521 and claiming the islands for Spain. But by converting the first Filipinos to Catholicism, Magellan also instigated the Christianisation of the entire archipelago, a spiritual rebirth celebrated through the two most important festivals in the Philippines - Fiesta Señor and Sinulog.
Green Dreams
With its tea plantations and rice paddies, dense jungles and expansive forests, the region is well known as a green paradise. But many of the most impressive Asian landscapes have names you may never have heard of. Journey with us as we reveal just some of the incredible locations that make the rest of the world green with envy!
Life On The Edge
In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, in the remote northern Russian Far East, indigenous ethnic groups like the Chukchi and the Yupik live in the most extreme conditions, hunting seals in their traditional kayaks as they have for millennia
The Karakoram Anomaly Decoded
For decades, scientists have believed that glaciers in the Karakoram Range are defying the trend of those across the globe-resisting glacial melt due to human-induced global warming. But as we trek up the Karakoram's second-longest glacier in July, as the United Nations announces the world's hottest ever month on record, does the melting ice beneath our feet suggest the so-called Karakoram Anomaly is slowing? Or is there a ray of hope it will continue to delay the inevitable?
