Sir Francis Drake
English privateer and explorer
(c. 1540–1596)
Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540–January 28, 1596) was an English explorer, privateer, naval officer, and politician of the Elizabethan era. He was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world, which he achieved in his expedition from 1577 to 1580.
Drake was born in Tavistock, Devon, England. He began his career in the Royal Navy, serving as a volunteer under his cousin, Sir John Hawkins, in the disastrous Hawkins-Drake expedition to the Spanish Main in 1567-1568. After the expedition, Drake commanded his own privateering voyages to the Spanish Main, where he plundered Spanish treasure ships and attacked Spanish settlements.
In 1577, Drake embarked on his circumnavigation of the world. He sailed from Plymouth, England, and traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Strait of Magellan, and across the Pacific Ocean. He stopped at several islands in the Pacific, including the Philippines and the Moluccas, before returning to England in 1580. His expedition was a great success, and he returned to England with a large amount of treasure.
Drake's circumnavigation of the world made him a national hero. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I, and he became a member of Parliament. He continued to serve in the Royal Navy, and he played a key role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Drake died in 1596 while leading an expedition to the Spanish Main.
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