Answer to Question #233248 in History for Hazel

Question

What is the importance of circumnavigation expedition (Magellan-Elcano Expedition) in the world of navigation?

One paragraph - not less than 100 words

Answer 1

Magellan’s feat, a 16th-century maritime expedition was arguably much more unpredictable, and hence far more perilous, than computer-assisted space travel; but in any case, the achievements of Magellan were of profound importance. His supreme accomplishment was the discovery and crossing of the South American strait that bears his name; a major navigational task, considering the knowledge of the period. Moreover, being the first to navigate the “Sea of the South” from east to west, he demonstrated the immensity of the Pacific Ocean and the challenges it posed to navigation. Finally, the idea of the voyage itself had relied on the not-undisputed idea of a spherical Earth. The circumnavigation completed by Magellan’s expedition thus confirmed the conception of the world as a globe.