1521
Magellan’s ship Victoria, from a map by Abraham Ortelius, 1590.Image: Abraham Ortelius · Public domainworld · Oceania
Magellan’s fleet reaches Guam
On 6 March 1521, by the calendar then in use, Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet sighted land in the Mariana Islands after 99 days crossing the Pacific without fresh food. They were the first Europeans known to cross the ocean, and they landed on Guam, home of the Chamorro people. Chamorros came out in canoes to trade and took items from the ships, and Magellan’s men burned houses and killed several islanders. The date comes from the chronicler Antonio Pigafetta; another crew member recorded a different day.
Source: Guampedia: Ferdinand Magellan ↗
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