[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 68 (Thursday, April 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING THE 500 YEARS OF THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD

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                     HON. JENNIFFER GONZALEZ-COLON

                             of puerto rico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 25, 2019

  Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Madam Speaker, as the Co-Chair of 
the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus, I'd like to 
commemorate the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the 
globe. On April 26, 2019, the Spanish tall ship Juan Sebastian de 
Elcano will arrive in Boston, Massachusetts after stops in the U.S. 
ports including in my district of San Juan, Puerto Rico, as it 
continues its voyage to commemorate Commissioned in 1928, Elcano is a 
training ship for the Spanish Royal Navy. This Quincentennial presents 
an opportunity to reflect on the beginnings of our current era of 
globalization. This first circumnavigation took place between 1519 and 
1522 under the orders of Emperor Charles I of Spain. Started by the 
distinguished Portuguese captain, Ferdinand Magellan, this periplus was 
completed after his death mid-way through the trip by the Spaniard Juan 
Sebastian Elcano, the ship's name sake.
  The first circumnavigation is a milestone that transformed and 
connected the world. This sea voyage had profound and lasting 
scientific repercussions by proving that the earth was in fact not only 
round but spherical. It not only enhanced the total sum of human 
knowledge but also promoted transnational interconnectivity, thereby 
laying the foundation for today's world, defined by economic, 
political, and cultural globalization.
  The visit by Elcano to the United States as part of the commemoration 
of this transcendental event in the history of mankind, provides a 
great opportunity, not only to reflect on this feat, but for 
strengthening the already robust ties that bind Spain and the United 
States.
  Therefore, as we salute the arrival of the tall ship Juan Sebastian 
de Elcano, let's take a moment to commemorate the beginning of the 
current era of globalization, the legacy and great achievements of 
expeditionary trailblazers like Magellan and Elcano, and the 
longstanding relationship between the United States and Spain

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