Friday, March 16, 2007

Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines on this day in 1521. Despite his vast achievements of seafaring and exploration, he was not a flawless judge of character. He quickly befriended one half of a pair of political rivals from the islands of Homohon and Mactan and got in the middle of their struggle for control. This would prove to be a fatal mistake as he died in battle a month later.



Had Magellan simply taken the tourist approach to his visit to the Philippines, perhaps taking a taxi ride, he likely would have lived a much longer life.