Today In History with The Retrospectors Circumnavigating The Globe
The Nao Victoria, the first ship to circumnavigate the globe, arrived back to its starting point in Spain on 6th September, 1522, with one person notably missing: Ferdinand Magellan, the man who had initiated the audacious voyage.
Through a mixture of hubris and misfortune Magellan had come to a rather sticky end just before reaching his intended destination of the Moluccas, otherwise known as the Indonesian Spice Islands. But even though the expedition – which Magellan had hoped would open a western route to Asia – was unsuccessful, its contribution to Europeans’ understanding of the globe was immeasurable.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly look at the countless disasters, mutinies and impediments Magellan faced during his journey; discuss why the Spice Islands were so important to Europeans in the 16th century; and explain why you can never pack too much wine and hardtack when attempting to circumnavigate the globe…
Further Reading:
- ‘A voyage from hell: how Magellan’s circumnavigation of the world changed history’ (History Extra, 2019): https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/how-magellan-circumnavigation-world-changed-history-what-was-voyage-like/
- ‘Ferdinand Magellan’ (History.com, 2023): https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/ferdinand-magellan
- ‘The greatest expeditions of mankind - Magellan and the space race’ (DW Documentary; 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5TP1k9z4ak
#Europe #1900s #explorer #person #Spain #Portugal
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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Edit producer: Sophie King. Mix & Scheduling: Steve Stonhold
Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders.
Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.
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