Question 1

True or false: Magellan named the Pacific Ocean because it seemed so peaceful.

Accepted Answer

True. After the stormy Strait of Magellan, the calm ocean struck him—he called it 'Mar Pacifico.'

Question 2

True or false: Magellan was Portuguese, but he sailed for Spain.

Accepted Answer

True. After falling out with the Portuguese king, Magellan switched allegiance to Spain in 1517.

Question 3

True or false: Magellan himself completed the first circumnavigation of the globe.

Accepted Answer

False. Magellan died in the Philippines in 1521; his crew, led by Elcano, finished the voyage.

Question 4

True or false: Magellan was killed in battle by a poisonous arrow in South America.

Accepted Answer

False. He died in the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines, struck by bamboo spears, not arrows in South America.

Question 5

True or false: Magellan’s voyage was funded entirely by the Catholic Church.

Accepted Answer

False. Spain’s King Charles I funded the expedition, seeking a western route to the Spice Islands.

Question 6

True or false: Magellan’s slave Enrique was likely the first person to circle the globe.

Accepted Answer

True. Enrique, born in Southeast Asia, had traveled to Europe and returned via Magellan’s voyage, completing a full circle.

Question 7

True or false: Magellan’s expedition was the first to prove the Earth was round.

Accepted Answer

False. Ancient Greeks had already proven the Earth was round; Magellan’s voyage confirmed its size.

Question 8

True or false: Magellan’s fleet included a ship that sailed back to Spain before reaching the Pacific.

Accepted Answer

True. The 'San Antonio' deserted the fleet in the Strait of Magellan and returned to Spain.

Ferdinand Magellan Trivia Questions