Which explorer led the first circumnavigation of the world, but was killed before the voyage was completed?

Which explorer led the first circumnavigation of the world, but was killed before the voyage was completed?

• A. James Cook
• B. Christopher Columbus
• C. Vasco da Gama
• D. Ferdinand Magellan

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is who led the expedition that first circumnavigated the globe, even though the leader did not live to see it completed. Ferdinand Magellan fits this description. He organized and commanded the fleet that set sail in 1519 to reach the Spice Islands by sailing west. He was killed in the Philippines in 1521, and the remaining crew, led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, finished the voyage and returned to Spain in 1522. Thus, Magellan started the first circumnavigation, while the voyage was completed after his death. The other explorers are renowned for different feats—James Cook conducted later Pacific voyages and completed his own circumnavigations, Columbus never circumnavigated, and Vasco da Gama opened a sea route to India—so Magellan is the best answer for this description.

The idea being tested is who led the expedition that first circumnavigated the globe, even though the leader did not live to see it completed. Ferdinand Magellan fits this description. He organized and commanded the fleet that set sail in 1519 to reach the Spice Islands by sailing west. He was killed in the Philippines in 1521, and the remaining crew, led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, finished the voyage and returned to Spain in 1522. Thus, Magellan started the first circumnavigation, while the voyage was completed after his death. The other explorers are renowned for different feats—James Cook conducted later Pacific voyages and completed his own circumnavigations, Columbus never circumnavigated, and Vasco da Gama opened a sea route to India—so Magellan is the best answer for this description.