Ferdinand Magellan led the expedition that first sailed round the world, but he was killed in the Philippines in 1521. Who brought the surviving ship back to Spain in 1522 and so completed the voyage?
- A.Juan Sebastian Elcano
- B.Francis Drake
- C.Amerigo Vespucci
- D.Vasco Nunez de Balboa
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Juan Sebastian Elcano. The expedition left Spain in 1519 under Magellan, who crossed the strait now named after him and named the Pacific Ocean for its calm waters. After Magellan was killed in a fight in the Philippines in 1521, his Basque officer Juan Sebastian Elcano took charge and brought the ship Victoria home to Spain in 1522, completing the first circumnavigation of the earth. Option B, Francis Drake, was the Englishman who made the second voyage round the world, between 1577 and 1580. Option C, Amerigo Vespucci, explored the South American coast and gave his name to America, but he did not sail round the globe. Option D, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, crossed the isthmus of Panama in 1513 and was the first European to see the Pacific from America.
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Practice Questions
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