Who completed the first circumnavigation of Earth after Magellan's expedition began it?
Answer
Juan Sebastián Elcano
Answer
Juan Sebastián Elcano
Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the first circumnavigation of Earth when he brought the ship Victoria back to Spain in 1522. The expedition had begun under Ferdinand Magellan in 1519.
Magellan was killed in the Philippines in 1521, before the voyage was complete. Elcano then took command of Victoria, which crossed the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and reached Sanlúcar de Barrameda on 6 September 1522.
The expedition's return proved in practice that the world could be circumnavigated by sea, although the crew experienced a one-day calendar discrepancy on returning westward. Only 18 of the original expedition's roughly men completed the voyage aboard Victoria.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026