The Pacific Ocean was named after the Portuguese navigator Fernando Magellan, who led a fleet that opened the way for mankind to circumnavigate the earth for the first time.
On September 20, 1519, Magellan, who fled to Spain due to persecution by the government, led a Spanish fleet of five ships, departing from the port of San Luca and traveling along the west coast of Africa through the Canary Islands and The Cape Verde Islands use equatorial currents and northeasterly trade winds to cross the Atlantic Ocean. At that time, people were debating the "round earth theory". Ten years ago, Magellan led his fleet around the Cape of Good Hope, across the Indian Ocean, through the Strait of Malacca and to the Philippine island of Mindanao. This time, Magellan explored a way to the Far East from the opposite direction. They sailed along the southern part of the Americas. This is a route no one has sailed, and the difficulties are indescribable. The "Victoria" ran aground and the "Santiago" sank. Magellan went through many tests and finally discovered a promising waterway on October 21, 1520. But the climate here is very harsh. They fought against the wind and waves for 28 days and endured an unbearable voyage of more than 510 kilometers before they finally broke through the channel named "Strait of Magellan" by later generations.
After passing through the Strait of Magellan, you can see the vast sea in front of you, with vast mist and calm waves. The bright sunshine reflects the sky, making it colorful and peaceful. Magellan, who had mixed feelings, named the ocean in front of him "Pacific Ocean" on the chart.
It is a coincidence that during the three months of sailing in the Pacific, they were not attacked by storms or huge waves once. It was a smooth journey and the fleet finally arrived in Mindanao, Philippines on March 28, 1521. , and the name "Pacific" is also recognized by the world.