On today’s date, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name.  That, was in 1520.  Can you imagine?  That’s 500 stinking years ago (almost).  Getting on a rickety old ship and setting sail across the ocean, to who knows where or what? (Heck, I won’t even drive into a neighborhood I don’t know real well)…. but that Ferdinand setting sail…..  Brave or Crazy, I’ll tell you.  Brave or Crazy….  Well, in Magellan’s case, I think it was a little bit of both….maybe leaning more toward the loopy side.

Did you know Magellan wore a horse-head-hat every day he sailed.  He did it for good luck.  I think it was a real horse head.  Loopy and gross.  (He was naked a lot too….except for the hat.)  And we have a statue down in these parts to commemorate the whole deal.