The historian who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his voyage toward the Spice Islands was Antonio Pigafetta. A Venetian scholar and explorer, Pigafetta joined the Spanish expedition in 1519 and kept a detailed journal that became one of the most important surviving records of the voyage.
Pigafetta sailed aboard the flagship Trinidad and recorded geography, weather, animals, languages, customs, and encounters with communities along the route. He remained loyal to Magellan and was wounded at the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines, where Magellan was killed in April 1521. Pigafetta survived and returned to Spain in 1522 aboard the Victoria with Juan Sebastián Elcano.
His account, usually known as the “First Voyage Around the World,” is a major primary source for the expedition and the first circumnavigation completed by the survivors. Only 18 of roughly 240 men who set out made the full return journey. The quiz answer “Pigafetta” is the accepted surname; his full name was Antonio Pigafetta.