The English explorer Francis Drake circumnavigated the Earth between 13 December 1577 and 26 September 1580. The expedition was authorised by Queen Elizabeth I and consisted of five ships. Termed a 'v
Sir Francis Drake in a 1581 portrait miniature
A replica of the Golden Hind moored at Tower Pier in 1974. This view wouldn't have changed much since Drake's time.
Scene depicting Francis Drake meeting Native Americans in South America by Theodor de Bry
Trial of Thomas Doughty – he would later be executed at San Julian
Strait of Magellan
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The Strait of Magellan, also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south
Francis Drake's circumnavigation
…nearly six months. After capturing Spanish vessels and Portuguese caravels while crossing the Atlantic he became the first Englishman to navigate the Straits of Magellan. After reaching the Pacific Ocean in October 1578, he sailed up the west coast of South America. Due to losses by storms and disease, only two ships…
The Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America
A replica of Victoria, one of Magellan's ships, in the Museo Nao Victoria, Punta Arenas, Chile
USS Ronald Reagan passing through the Strait of Magellan in 2004
The County of Peebles and Cavenga are used as a breakwater for the harbour at Punta Arenas.