yes he was
Columbus was the first in 1492.
Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain, is credited with discovering the Philippines in 1521 during his expedition to find a western route to the Spice Islands.
to find a western trade route to Asia
In search of fame and fortune, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain in 1519 with a fleet of five ships to discover a western sea route to the Spice Islands. En route he discovered what is now known as the Strait of Magellan and became the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean.
The primary effect of Spain's seeking a western route to Asia was the discovery of the Americas and the eventual European conquest of them.
Pedro Alvares Cabral
Columbus voyages were funded by king Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain
cortes
Amerigo Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci
Christopher Columbus,
The explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth was Ferdinand Magellan. His voyage, which began in 1519, was commissioned by Spain and aimed to find a westward route to the Spice Islands. Although Magellan himself was killed in the Philippines in 1521, his expedition continued under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano, ultimately returning to Spain in 1522, thus completing the first circumnavigation of the globe.