Who was the first person to circumnavigate the globe?

Ferdinand Magellan is recognized as the first person to lead an expedition that successfully circumnavigated the globe. Although Magellan himself did not complete the entire journey, as he was killed in the Philippines before the expedition returned to Spain, he was the one who initiated this monumental voyage. His expedition, which began in 1519 and concluded in 1522 under the leadership of Juan Sebastián Elcano, provided valuable insights into the world's geography. It was the first to prove that the Earth could be circumnavigated by sea, significantly enhancing European understanding of global navigation and trade routes.

In contrast, other historical figures listed played important roles in exploration, but they did not achieve the distinction of the first circumnavigation. Christopher Columbus famously crossed the Atlantic and reached the Americas, but he did not complete a global journey. Vasco da Gama is known for his sea route to India around Africa, while James Cook made significant voyages in the Pacific Ocean, but none of these explorers completed a circumnavigation of the globe that included returning to their starting point.