Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain in 1519 with five ships and 277 crew members to find a western sea route to the Spice Islands. He wanted to prove the world was round, spread Christianity, and help Spain gain power over Portugal in the spice trade. Magellan discovered the passage between South America and Antarctica now known as the Strait of Magellan. While one ship was lost exploring South America, Magellan's fleet became the first to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, completing a global circumnavigation and proving the Earth was round. The journey had significant impacts, establishing the Strait of Magellan as a key shipping route and introducing Christianity and European contact to previously unreached lands and peoples.