Magellan

The 20th of September is here and with it an important date in history. Today  is the day Ferdinand Magellan began the voyage with which he is credited for circumnavigating the globe in 1519. Leaving from Spain with a fleet of 5 ships, he not only discovered the Strait of Magellan, he became the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean. The journey took three years, destroying 4 of the 5 ships along with many crew. Little known is that Magellan did this famous trip in 2 voyages: in two different directions, not point A to point A. Knowing that,  he had a slave from Mallaca (Malaysia) named Enrique that returned with him to Europe.  Enrique returned to Mallaca after Magelan died by the westward route.  Therefore, Enrique should be credited as the first to circumnavigate the globe in one direction however, that is not our European history. Go figure. Lesson to learn from this story is that OUR history programs us to think a certain way.  Take a moment to think outside the box. Have an exceptional weekend…Go PUPS! (cue: Don’t Stop Believin’, Journey).