Ferdinand Magellan was the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe, completing this voyage from 1519 to 1522. Although Magellan did not survive the journey—he was killed in the Philippines—the expedition ultimately succeeded under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano, who returned to Spain with only one remaining ship, the Victoria. This monumental journey provided invaluable information about global geography, demonstrated the vastness of the Earth, and established the significance of maritime exploration in connecting distant lands. The circumnavigation paved the way for European colonization and trade expansion in the centuries that followed.