Ferdinand Magellan is often credited as being the first explorer to circumnavigate the Earth. While Magellan did not complete the entire journey himself, he led the expedition that successfully completed the circumnavigation.
Ferdinand Magellan and his crew are credited with being the first to successfully circumnavigate the Earth. While Leif Ericson, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, and Christopher Columbus were all renowned explorers in their own right, they did not complete a full circumnavigation of the Earth.
