Dateline April 7 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Cebu.
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in a still disputed location in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" (modern Maluku Islands in Indonesia).
On 17 March Magellan reached the island of Homonhon in the Philippines,
with 150 crew left. Members of his expedition became the first
Spaniards to reach the Philippine archipelago, but they were not the first Europeans. Magellan was able to communicate with the native tribes because his Malay interpreter, Enrique, could understand their languages. Enrique was indentured by Magellan in 1511 right after the colonization of Malacca
and was at his side during the battles in Africa, during Magellan's
disgrace at the King's court in Portugal and during Magellan's
successful raising of a fleet. They traded gifts with Rajah Siaiu of Mazaua who guided them to Cebu on 7 April.
Rajah Humabon
of Cebu was friendly towards Magellan and the Spaniards; both he and
his queen Hara Amihan were baptized as Christians. Afterward, Rajah
Humabon and his ally Datu Zula convinced Magellan to kill their enemy,
Datu Lapu-Lapu,
on Mactan. Magellan had wished to convert Lapu-Lapu to Christianity, as
he had Humabon, a proposal of which Lapu-Lapu was dismissive. On the
morning of 27 April 1521, Magellan sailed to Mactan with a small attack
force. During the resulting battle against Lapu-Lapu's troops, Magellan was hit by a bamboo spear and later surrounded and finished off with other weapons
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