Manila Established and Manila Galleon Trade Begins
The Spanish navigator Andrés de Urdaneta discovered the return route from the Philippines to New Spain (the tornaviaje) in 1565, using the North Pacific wind system, and the same year Miguel López de Legazpi founded Manila. This established the Manila Galleon route, the first regular commercial link between Asia and the Americas: American silver flowed west to China via Manila, while Chinese silk, porcelain, and spices flowed east to New Spain. The trade route operated continuously until 1815, making Manila the first city in Asia with a significant Latin American population and connecting the global economy in an unprecedented way.
- Year: 1565 CE
- Category: Economic
