Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who set out in 1519 to prove that the Earth was round by sailing west to reach the Spice Islands. Although Magellan himself died in the Philippines in 1521, his crew eventually completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth, confirming that the planet is spherical. Magellan made several important discoveries along the way, including the passage now known as the Strait of Magellan between South America's southern tip and Tierra del Fuego.