Here are some specific contributions of Balboa and Magellan to crossing the Pacific Ocean:
1. Vasco Núñez de Balboa:
- Balboa was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who is credited with being the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean.
- In 1513, Balboa led an expedition from the Atlantic coast of Panama across the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific coast.
- He reached the Gulf of San Miguel on the Pacific side and claimed the ocean and all lands bordering it for the Spanish crown.
- Balboa's discovery opened the way for further exploration and colonization of the Pacific region by European powers.
2. Ferdinand Magellan:
- Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe.
- In 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain with a fleet of five ships.
- He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, around South America, and into the Pacific Ocean.
- Magellan and his crew spent more than three months crossing the Pacific Ocean, facing storms and harsh conditions.
- They eventually reached the Philippines, where Magellan was killed in a conflict with the native people.
- However, Magellan's expedition continued and eventually completed the first circumnavigation of the globe.
Balboa's discovery of the Pacific Ocean and Magellan's successful circumnavigation of the globe were major milestones in the history of exploration and greatly contributed to the understanding of the world's geography. These achievements paved the way for further exploration, trade, and cultural exchange between different parts of the world.