Record #00520Human Society archive
Ferdinand Magellan led a fleet westward from Spain in 1519. On 6 September 1522, Juan Sebastián Elcano returned aboard Victoria to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, completing the first documented maritime circumnavigation; the vessel reached Seville on 8 September.
Achievement date
1522
1522-09-06
The Spanish-sponsored expedition departed in 1519 with five ships, sailed through the waterway later named the Strait of Magellan, crossed the Pacific and reached the Philippines and Moluccas. Magellan died in the Philippines and did not complete the voyage himself.
Elcano led the survivors aboard Victoria around the Cape of Good Hope and back to Spain. The journey transformed understanding of global ocean distances and routes, but only the returning participants completed the circuit.
The record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
UNESCO documents the Magellan–Elcano first circumnavigation. Spanish official sources date first return to Sanlúcar on 6 September 1522 while Guinness uses Seville on 8 September as home-port completion. These dates represent separate milestones rather than conflicting identities or voyages. Magellan himself died before completion.
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
The record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
Help keep the archive accurate
If a fact has changed, a value is incorrect, or you know a more authoritative source, leave a note. Feedback enters an administrator review workflow and never edits a record directly.
ARCHIVE VISUAL / 01
NOT TO SCALE
