Which explorer completed the first circumnavigation of Earth’s oceans after departing in 1519?

Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the first circumnavigation of Earth’s oceans after departing with Magellan’s expedition in 1519.

Ferdinand Magellan commanded the expedition that left Spain in 1519 to find a westward route to the Spice Islands. The fleet crossed the Atlantic, passed through the strait now named for Magellan, and reached the Pacific Ocean. Magellan was killed in the Philippines in 1521, so he did not complete the voyage or personally circumnavigate the globe.

After Magellan’s death, leadership changed several times. Juan Sebastián Elcano eventually commanded the Victoria, the only ship from the original fleet to return to Spain. The vessel arrived at Sanlúcar de Barrameda on September 6, 1522, with 18 surviving crew members, completing the first circumnavigation known to have been achieved by a single expedition.

The voyage demonstrated the enormous scale of the Pacific and produced important geographic and commercial knowledge, but it was extremely costly in lives and ships. Historians distinguish between Magellan’s role as expedition initiator and Elcano’s role as the captain who completed the circumnavigation.