Which explorer’s expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe?

Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition was the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe.

Magellan’s fleet left Spain in 1519 with five ships seeking a westward route to the Spice Islands. The expedition crossed the Atlantic, passed through the strait now called the Strait of Magellan, crossed the Pacific, and reached the Philippines. Magellan was killed there in 1521 and did not complete the journey himself.

Juan Sebastián Elcano took command of the remaining ship, Victoria, which continued westward across the Indian Ocean and around Africa. It returned to Spain in 1522 with only 18 surviving crew members. The expedition therefore completed the first circumnavigation, but describing Magellan as the person who personally sailed around the world is inaccurate.

The voyage provided major geographic evidence about the scale of Earth and the vast size of the Pacific Ocean. It also demonstrated the practical reality of global maritime travel.