Ferdinand Magellan is credited with circumnavigating the globe. Although he did not survive the entire voyage, which took place from 1519 to 1522, he led the expedition that became the first to successfully sail around the world. Magellan set out with a fleet intending to find a western route to the Spice Islands. His journey revealed the vastness of the Earth and the interconnectedness of the world's oceans. After his death in the Philippines, one of his ships, the Victoria, managed to complete the circumnavigation, solidifying Magellan's legacy as a pioneering explorer in maritime history.