Which explorer led the expedition whose survivors completed the first circumnavigation of Earth?

Ferdinand Magellan led the expedition whose surviving crew completed the first circumnavigation of Earth. The voyage began in 1519 under a Spanish commission, but Magellan was killed in the Philippines in 1521 and did not complete the journey himself.

The expedition crossed the Atlantic, passed through the strait now called the Strait of Magellan, and entered the Pacific Ocean. Magellan named that ocean after encountering relatively calm waters, although the crossing was extremely difficult and many crew members died.

After Magellan’s death at the Battle of Mactan, Juan Sebastián Elcano assumed command of the surviving expedition. The ship Victoria returned to Spain in September 1522, making the first recorded circumnavigation. Only one of the original five ships completed the voyage.

The precise wording matters: Magellan led the expedition, while Elcano completed the voyage as its returning commander. Saying Magellan personally circumnavigated Earth is inaccurate because he died before the expedition returned.