Juan Sebastián Elcano - Celebrity Biographies – World

Juan Sebastián Elcano was a Spanish sailor, explorer and navigator of Basque origin. He led the second half of the Earth’s first circumnavigation, after he took over the expedition, following Ferdinand Magellan’s death. Elcano was born in the 15th century, in Castile, a medieval polity located in Southwest Europe. Before becoming a sailor, he was in the military, and he also fought in the Italian wars. Later, he got settled and became a merchant ship captain. When Magellan began his voyage, Elcano was the ship’s master on board the ‘Concepcion’, which was one of the five ships of the fleet. Upon completing the trip and returning to Spain, the-then King of Spain, Charles V honored Elcano and also gave him an annual pension. In addition, his family was given rule over the Marquisate of Buglas in Negros Island, Philippines.

Quick Facts

Spanish Celebrities Born In November

Also Known As: Juan Sebastián de Elcan, Juan Sebastian Elcano, Juan Sebastian de Elcan

Died At Age: 49

Family:

father: Domingo Sebastián Elcano I

mother: Catalina del Puerto

siblings: Antón Martín Elcano, Domingo Elcano, Martín Pérez Elcano

children: Domingo Elcano III

Partner: Maria de Vida Urreta, María Hernández Dernialde

Born Country: Spain

Sailors Explorers

Died on: August 4, 1526

place of death: Pacific Ocean

Cause of Death: Malnutrition

Childhood & Early Life

Juan Sebastián Elcano was born sometime around 1476, in Getaria, Gipuzkoa, Castile, a medieval polity, which was located in modern South West Europe. His parents were Domingo Sebastián Elcano and Catalina del Puerto. He had three siblings, all brothers, namely, Domingo Elcano, Martín Pérez Elcano, and Antón Martín Elcano.

In his early years, he served in the military and also took part in the Italian Wars under the command of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba. He also joined the Spanish expedition in 1509, against Algiers, which was organized by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros.

Later, he chose to settle in Seville, and became a merchant ship captain. However, he soon accumulated too many debts, and companies started demanding that he surrender his ship to cover all his debts. However, by doing so, he broke the law of the land.

When he asked the king for a pardon, the King agreed but only on a condition that he would use his skills as a sailor and navigator to aid Ferdinand Magellan on his voyage. Soon, he signed on as a subordinate officer for the expedition to the East Indies.

Voyage of Circumnavigation

The expedition began in 1519, with 241 men and five ships, which were ‘Trinidad’, ‘Concepcion’, ‘San Antonio’, ‘Victoria’ and ‘Santiago’. The fleet set sail in September. Though it made its way to Brazil, it avoided the Portuguese settlements as there was a hostility going on between the Spanish and Portuguese.

Soon, Magellan decided to halt due to the bad weather. This left the men idle, and they wanted to return to Spain. Soon, they started a mutiny, along with Elcano. The mutiny was eventually put down, and some of the mutineers were killed or marooned. Though Elcano was pardoned, he had to spend five months of hard labor on the mainland.

The fleet then sailed to the eastern coast of Brazil into Puerto San Julian, in Argentina. After some months, they were able to discover a passage in the southern tip of South America, which later became known as ‘Strait of Magellan’. They sailed through the strait. However, the crew of ‘San Antonio’ mutinied shortly after and returned to Spain.

Magellan also lost another ship, the ‘Santiago’, which sank shortly after. However, he managed to rescue the sailors. During this time, he put Elcano as the captain of the ‘Concepcion’, as most of the other experienced sailors left for Spain, or were either executed or marooned.

According to what Magellan calculated, the fleet should have been only a few days away from the Spice Islands. However, it took his fleet four months just to cross the South Pacific. Several of his men died during this time, before they were able to reach Guam and the Marianas Islands, and resupply.

They continued westward, and in early 1521, they reached a part of Asia, which is the present-day Philippines. One of the crew members was able to interact with the native people, and they soon found out they were on the eastern edge of the world which was known to Europe. They developed good relations with the islanders, after Magellan also became friends with the King of Zzubu but soon they got involved in tribal warfare between rival Filipino groups.

Magellan was eventually killed on 27th April 1521, and the Spanish were defeated in the Battle of Mactan. The surviving members eventually voted that Duarte Barbosa and João Serrão would be the new leaders. However, the King of Zzubu eventually betrayed them, and they were killed too.

Therefore, the rest of the fleet decided to head back to Spain. They headed across the Indian Ocean, and soon reached the Spice Islands, which was their original goal. They loaded themselves with valuable spices, and the ships set sail once again. However, they were soon attacked by the Portuguese, who captured several of their men.

Juan Sebastián Elcano managed to evade the Portuguese somehow, and continued sailing towards Spain. When he eventually reached home on 6 September 1522, the ship had only 22 men, eighteen of the surviving European sailors and four Asians who had joined them en route. The King of Spain met Elcano and granted Elcano an augmentation of his coat of arms with a globe which stated ‘You Went Around Me First’.

Personal Life

Juan Sebastián Elcano never married during his lifetime. But he had a son with María Hernández Dernialde, who was named Domingo Elcano. He had also fathered a daughter with another woman named Maria de Vida Urreta.

Death

In 1525, Juan Sebastián Elcano was chosen as the chief navigator of another expedition being led by García Jofre de Loaísa, a Spanish nobleman. Their main intention was to retrace Magellan’s route in order to establish a permanent colony on the Spice Islands.

During the crossing of the Pacific, Juan Sebastián Elcano passed away with several of the other sailors on 4th August 1526. He wrote a last will and testament, before his death, which stated that his money was left for his two illegitimate children as well as their mothers.

Facts About Juan Sebastián Elcano

Juan Sebastián Elcano was a skilled navigator and sailor who completed the first circumnavigation of the globe after the death of Ferdinand Magellan during the expedition.

Elcano’s leadership and determination were instrumental in ensuring the success of the historic voyage, despite facing numerous challenges and hardships along the way.

In addition to his seafaring skills, Elcano was known for his resourcefulness and adaptability, traits that were crucial in overcoming obstacles during the journey.

Despite the dangers and uncertainties of the uncharted waters they were navigating, Elcano remained steadfast in his commitment to completing the expedition and making history.

Elcano’s role in the first circumnavigation of the globe is a testament to his courage, resilience, and contribution to the age of exploration and discovery.

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