Ferdinand Magellan's Discovery of Guam was a major milestone in his voyage around the world. Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, set sail from Spain in 1519 with five ships and 270 men. He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, around South America, and across the Pacific Ocean. On March 6, 1521, Magellan and his crew arrived at the island of Guam, which he named 'Las Islas de los Ladrones' (The Islands of Thieves). This was the first European contact with the island, and it marked the first recorded circumnavigation of the globe.