Circumnavigation

Circumnavigation

To circumnavigate a place, such as an island, a continent, or the Earth is to travel all the way around it by boat or ship.

The first maritime circumnavigations of the globe were:

Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese, but sailing for Spain), 1519-1522 - died during his circumnavigation, it was completed under command of Sebastian del Cano
Francis Drake (English), 1577-1580
Thomas Cavendish (English), 1586-1588
Olivier van Noort (Dutch), 1598-1601

Some other circumnavigations:

pharaoh Necho II, first circumnavigation of Africa

Robert Gray, 1787-1790 first American circumnavigation

Joshua Slocum 1895 - 1898 first solo circumnavigation of the world

USS Nautilus first underwater circumnavigation of the world

Matthew Flinders first circumnavigation of Australia