Ferdinand Magellan's journey of three ships was to ultimately prove the Earth's roundness by physically circumventing the globe. It started in 1519 and took three years to complete, although the leader died in 1521 in battle against king Lapu-Lapu from Phillipines after getting entangled in local politics. The mortality rate during this journey was enormous (only 18 people were left from the original three crews), but many discoveries were made along the way, including a route across the Pacific Ocean.