Magellan Killed on Mactan

April 27, 1521

On the Philippine island of Mactan, Ferdinand Magellan waded ashore to chastise a chieftain named Lapu-Lapu who had refused Spanish authority. Waist-deep in surf, he was struck down with bamboo spears. Command passed to Sebastian Elcano, who would limp home with one ship and eighteen survivors. Lapu-Lapu is celebrated as a national hero in the Philippines, with monuments and a city named after him on Mactan Island.