Who killed the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521?

Lapu-Lapu killed the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during the Battle of Mactan in 1521.

Magellan was leading an expedition for Spain when he became involved in local rivalries in the Philippines. On April 27, 1521, he landed on Mactan Island with a small force to punish its ruler, Lapu-Lapu, for refusing to submit to Spanish authority. Magellan expected his superior weapons and armor to intimidate the islanders, but shallow water and a coral reef prevented his ships from supporting the attack effectively.

Lapu-Lapu’s warriors overwhelmed the Europeans in close combat. Contemporary survivor Antonio Pigafetta wrote that Magellan was struck by a spear and then attacked with swords and other weapons before being killed. Strictly speaking, the death blow may have been delivered by one of Lapu-Lapu’s warriors rather than Lapu-Lapu personally, but Lapu-Lapu led the defending force and is the accepted historical answer. The battle became a major symbol of Filipino resistance to colonial conquest.