Fact 2: 20 September 20, 1519 Ferdinand Magellan led 5 Spanish ships and 251 men in what was to become the first voyage around the World

Fact 3: The names of the ships were the Trinidad, the San Antonio, the Conception, the Victoria and the Santiago.

Fact 4: The type of ships used were caravels. Caravels were broad-beamed ships, 45 feet to 100 feet long, that had 3 masts with square sails and also triangular sails

Fact 5: When was Ferdinand Magellan born? He was born c1480

Fact 6: What was his country of origin and where was Ferdinand Magellan born? He was born at Saborosa in Villa Real, Province of Traz os Montes in Portugal

Fact 7: He came from an influential and wealthy family and was a well educated man

Fact 8: He spent his early years at the Portuguese court and studied cartography and navigation

Fact 9: Ferdinand Magellan was inspired by the voyages of Christopher Columbus and decided that he also wanted to make voyages of exploration.

Fact 10: He took part in voyages to India and Africa

Fact 11: Whilst serving on Portuguese ships he had a disagreement with a commanding officer and left the service without prior permission

Fact 12: Ferdinand Magellan lost support from the Portuguese court and went to Spain

Fact 13: He convinced King Charles I of Spain to support a voyage to the Spice Islands and was promised one-fifth of the profits

Fact 14: The King provided a small fleet of five ships - the Trinidad, the San Antonio, the Conception, the Victoria and the Santiago.

Fact 15: March 22, 1519: He convinced King Charles I of Spain to support his voyage to the Spice Islands. King Charles promised Magellan one-fifth of the profits from the voyage to the Spice Islands

Fact 16: 20 September, 1519: The fleet under Ferdinand Magellan sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to South America and Rio de Janeiro. Magellan then started to search for a passage to the Pacific Ocean

Fact 17: Ferdinand Magellan commanded the Trinidad

Fact 18: Ferdinand Magellan led the 5 ships and 251 men in what was to become the first voyage around the World

Fact 19: The fleet anchored for the winter at Puerto San Julian in Southern Argentina, They leave in September but a storm destroys the Santiago and a mutiny breaks out but is soon quashed

Fact 20: 13 February 13, 1521: Magellan reaches the Equator

Fact 21: March 1521: They discover the the Pacific island of Guam and the Philippines by which time only 110 of the original 251 crew members are left alive

Fact 22: April 27, 1521: Ferdinand Magellan is killed by natives on the island of Mactan in the Philippines. So few of the crew remain that they abandon the Conception

Fact 23: The Trinidad is captured by the Portuguese, leaving the Victoria as the last remaining ship

Fact 24: 1522, September 6, 1522: The Victoria reached Sanlucar de Barrameda in Spain with only 18 survivors.

Fact 25: The historic voyage of this great explorer had taken nearly three years and had cost 233 lives.