The training ship of the Spanish Navy 'Juan Sebastián Elcano' has marked the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe by retracing the voyage undertaken by the famous Magellan-Elcano expedition. Exactly 500 years ago, on Sept. 20, 1519, five ships with a crew of over 200 men from different nationalities sailed from Sanlúcar de Barrameda to undertake what would become one of the biggest exploits in the history of humankind. The expedition, led first by Ferdinand Magellan and then by Juan Sebastián Elcano, was organized and financed by the Spanish Crown. It concluded in 1522, when only one ship and 18 men, including Elcano, returned to Spain. The 'Juan Sebastián Elcano' will arrive to the Philippines in March 2021, after visiting Brazil next December, followed by Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Guam.
