This Day in World History On March 16, 1521, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan — attempting to sail around the world for Spain — reached the Philippine archipelago. read more
He first sighted Homonhon Island on the 16th day of March 1521. Homonhon is located near the islands of Samar and Leyte, shown below. Link to Wikipedia is here. read more
On March 6, 1521, the expedition landed at the island of Guam. Ten days later, they reached the Philippines–they were only about 400 miles from the Spice Islands. After Magellan’s death, the survivors, in two ships, sailed on to the Moluccas and loaded the hulls with spice. One ship attempted, unsuccessfully, to return across the Pacific. read more