Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Spain in 1519. His expedition began at Seville on 10 August, when the ships started down the Guadalquivir River, and the fleet officially left Spain from Sanlúcar de Barrameda on 20 September 1519.
Magellan commanded five ships on behalf of the Spanish Crown: Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepción, Victoria, and Santiago. The expedition sought a western route to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, whose cloves and other spices were highly valuable in Europe. Magellan himself was Portuguese, but King Charles I of Spain authorized and supported the voyage after Magellan offered his services to Spain.
The fleet crossed the Atlantic, navigated the Strait of Magellan in 1520, and entered the Pacific Ocean. Magellan died in the Philippines in 1521, so he did not complete the voyage. Elcano led the Victoria back to Spain in 1522. The date 1492 is a frequent mix-up because it marks Columbus's first voyage across the Atlantic, not Magellan's departure.