Who is credited with being the first to circumnavigate the globe?

• A. Christopher Columbus
• B. Ferdinand Magellan
• C. Johan de Verrazzano
• D. Vasco da Gama

Answer: (B)

Ferdinand Magellan is credited with being the first to circumnavigate the globe due to his leadership of the expedition that set out from Spain in 1519. Although Magellan himself did not complete the voyage—he was killed in the Philippines in 1521—his expedition ultimately made it back to Spain in 1522 under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano. This monumental journey provided concrete evidence of the globe's roundness and changed the way people understood global geography, establishing maritime routes that would influence trade and exploration for centuries. The expedition successfully sailed westward from Europe, across the Pacific Ocean, and returned by way of the Indian Ocean, completing the first full circumnavigation of the Earth. This achievement is significant in the history of maritime exploration and illustrates the challenges and dangers faced by explorers of that time.