1521 Death of Ferdinand Magellan: The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Philippines during his expedition to circumnavigate the globe, one of the most significant voyages in world history. 1810 Beethoven’s “Für Elise” composed (approx. date): Ludwig van Beethoven is believed to have composed the famous piano piece “Für Elise” around this time, … Continue reading This Day in History