Which navigator led the 1519-1522 expedition that was the first to sail around the world?

Which navigator led the 1519-1522 expedition that was the first to sail around the world?

• A. Ferdinand Magellan
• B. Christopher Columbus
• C. Vasco da Gama
• D. James Cook

Answer: (A)

Leading a voyage that would become the first to sail around the world means coordinating a complex, multi-ocean journey. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese navigator sailing for Spain, set out in 1519 to reach the Spice Islands by sailing west. He did not survive the trip, but his fleet continued under Juan Sebastián Elcano and completed the first circumnavigation in 1522. This is why Magellan is the name most associated with the first global voyage. The other explorers were important in different feats: Columbus opened sustained European contact with the Americas, da Gama reached India by sailing around Africa, and Cook conducted later voyages in the Pacific.

Leading a voyage that would become the first to sail around the world means coordinating a complex, multi-ocean journey. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese navigator sailing for Spain, set out in 1519 to reach the Spice Islands by sailing west. He did not survive the trip, but his fleet continued under Juan Sebastián Elcano and completed the first circumnavigation in 1522. This is why Magellan is the name most associated with the first global voyage. The other explorers were important in different feats: Columbus opened sustained European contact with the Americas, da Gama reached India by sailing around Africa, and Cook conducted later voyages in the Pacific.