Battle of Mactan 1521
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1521 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Early modern (1500–1799) | derived from year |
| Location | Philippines | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | history of the Philippines (1565–1898) | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 10.3106, 124.0151 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Mactan (Filipino: Labanan sa Mactan; Spanish: Batalla de Mactán) was fought on a beach in Mactan Island (now part of Cebu, Philippines) between Spanish forces led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, along with local allies, and Lapulapu, a chieftain of the island, on the early morning of April 27, 1521. Magellan, a Portuguese-born commander serving the Spanish Empire who led an expedition that ultimately circumnavigated the world for the first time, commanded a small Spanish contingent in an effort to subdue Mactan under the Spanish crown. The sheer number of Lapulapu's forces, compounded with issues associated with the location and the armor, ultimately resulted in a disastrous defeat for the Europeans and the death of Magellan. Surviving members of Magellan's crew continued the expedition under the command of Juan Sebastian de Elcano, who completed the journey in September 1522.
The battle's exact details are lost to history, with Antonio Pigafetta's account as the only source of much of the information known today. It is remembered in the Philippines as the first battle won by a native Filipino against Spanish forces, with Lapulapu being hailed as the country's first national hero.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Mactan (revision 1376643878), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Camotes Islands 1945 · 62 km
- Battle of Ormoc Bay 1944 · 97 km
- Battle of Leyte 1944 · 145 km
- Battle of Leyte Gulf 1944 · 147 km
- Siege of Masbate 1898 · 223 km
- Siege of Catubig 1900 · 258 km
Other battles of the history of the Philippines (1565–1898)
Browse more: battles in Philippines · Asia · Early modern battles