Drake's Circumnavigation Begins

Date: December 13, 1577 • Location: Plymouth, United Kingdom

Sir Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage.

Sir Francis Drake was an English explorer and privateer known for making the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580. He is also known for participating in the early English slaving voyages of his cousin, John Hawkins, and John Lovell. Having started as a simple seaman, in 1588 he was part of the fight against the Spanish Armada as a vice admiral.