Q 01/05

Magellan sailed under the Spanish flag, but in which country was he born?

A) France

B) Italy

C) England

D) Portugal

Answer · why

D) Portugal

Portugal was his homeland, and he served it for years; only after King Manuel I kept refusing his petitions did he offer his services to Spain.

Q 02/05

Which teenage Spanish king, later a Holy Roman Emperor, approved Magellan's plan to sail west to the Spice Islands?

A) Philip III

B) Charles III

C) Charles I

D) Philip V

Answer · why

C) Charles I

Charles I, later Emperor Charles V, promised Magellan the government of any lands he found and a twentieth of the profits before a single ship had sai...

Q 03/05

Magellan's fleet sailed for the Spice Islands, now part of which country?

A) Indonesia

B) Malaysia

C) Sri Lanka

D) Madagascar

Answer · why

A) Indonesia

Indonesia now holds the Moluccas, the Spice Islands of Magellan's day; he died in the Philippines before his ships ever reached them.

Q 04/05

The Victoria is the ship everyone remembers, but which vessel was Magellan's own flagship?

A) Concepción

B) Trinidad

C) Santiago

D) San Antonio

Answer · why

B) Trinidad

Trinidad carried Magellan himself but never came home: it proved unseaworthy in the Spice Islands, and its crew were taken prisoner.

Q 05/05

In 1505, a young Magellan sailed from Lisbon with a great war fleet bound for which land?

A) India

B) Brazil

C) Japan

D) Angola

Answer · why

A) India

India was the goal of Almeida's 1505 fleet; Magellan spent about eight years fighting in the East, and a friend who wrote to him from the Spice Island...