In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan sailed from Spain with the intention of reaching the spice-rich Malouccas Islands of Indonesia by sailing west, instead of east. Although natives in the Philippines killed Magellan, his expedition went on to prove conclusively that the world was round. More importantly, it proved that the Americas were indeed a New World. Magellan's expedition was one of the great sea voyages of history, and it inspired further expeditions by other explorers. The discoveries made along the way reduced the dangers to all the sea expeditions that followed.