List of circumnavigations

This is a list of circumnavigations of the planet Earth.

Ships

Complete global circumnavigations

• (in multiple stages) Ferdinand Magellan, 1511–1521 (multiple voyages). In 1511 he visited the Moluccas (3°9′S 129°23′E). He returned to Portugal and set out in 1519 to circumnavigate the globe, while in the service of the Spanish crown. He discovered and sailed through the Strait of Magellan and reached the Philippines in 1521, where he was killed on Cebu (10°5′N 123°33′E). The expedition was completed by Spaniard Juan Sebastián Elcano. Magellan himself did not personally complete a circumnavigation of the Earth in any one voyage.
• (in multiple stages) Enrique of Malacca, c.1511—1521, Magellan's interpreter. He was captured in Sumatra as a child and taken to the Moluccas (3°9′S 129°23′E). where he was sold to Magellan in 1511; he accompanied Magellan on his circumnavigation and ended up on Cebu (10°5′N 123°33′E), in the Philippines.
• (complete) The 18 survivors of Ferdinand Magellan's Spanish expedition (which began with 5 ships and 200 men), 1519–1522, in the Victoria. After Magellan died in the Philippines in 27 April 1521, the circumnavigation was completed under the command of the Basque seafarer Juan Sebastián Elcano who returned to Seville, Spain on 8 September 1522 after a journey of 3 years and 1 month. They were the first to circumnavigate the globe in a single expedition.
• (Urdaneta completed) The survivors of García Jofre de Loaysa's Spanish expedition, 1525–1536. None of Loaysa's seven ships completed the voyage, but Santa María de la Victoria reached the Moluccas before being wrecked in a Portuguese attack. Successive chiefs of expedition (Loaisa, Elcano, Salazar, Iñiguez) died including De la Torre who died while crossing the Pacific Ocean. Andrés Urdaneta and other fellow men survived to the land in the Spice Islands. Eventually Urdaneta and a few of his fellows returned to Spain in 1528 on a Portuguese ship via Cape of Good Hope, and complete second world circumnavigation in history.
• Francis Drake, 1577–1580, in Golden Hind. Discovered the Drake Passage but entered the Pacific via the Strait of Magellan.
• Martín Ignacio de Loyola, 1580–1584 and 1585–1589. First person to circumnavigate the world twice, and first one doing so in each of both directions (westwards and eastwards).
• Thomas Cavendish, 1586–1588, in Desire.
• Francesco Carletti, Florentine merchant, in 1594–1602
• The survivors of the expeditions of Jacques Mahu and Olivier van Noort, 1598–1601. Of Mahu's five and Van Noort's four ships only two returned.
• Joris van Spilbergen, 1614–1617
• Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire, 1615–1617 in Eendraght. Discovered Cape Horn; the first expedition to enter the Pacific via the Drake Passage.
• Jacques l'Hermite and John Hugo Schapenham, 1623–1626.
• Pedro Cubero, 1670–1679. First around the world including significant travel overland.
• Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri, 1693–1698. The first tourist to circumnavigate the globe, paying his own way on multiple voyages, crossing Mexico on land.
• William Dampier (English) 1679–1691; 1703–1707; and 1708–1711. First person to circumnavigate the world three times.
• William Funnell(English) 1703–1707.
• Woodes Rogers (English) 1708–1710 with the Duke and the Duchess. He rescued Alexander Selkirk on Juan Fernandez on 31 January 1709. Selkirk had been stranded there for four years.
• George Anson, 1st Baron Anson, 1740–1744, in HMS Centurion
• John Byron, 1764–1766, in HMS Dolphin.
• Samuel Wallis and Philip Carteret, 1766–1768, in Dolphin and HMS Swallow. Carteret had served on Byron's expedition. Dolphin was the first ship to survive two circumnavigations.
• Louis de Bougainville, 1766–1769 On board was Jeanne Baré, disguised as a man, the first woman to circumnavigate the globe.
• James Cook, 1768–1771, in HMS Endeavour. The first circumnavigation to lose no personnel to scurvy.
• Tobias Furneaux, 1772–1774, in HMS Adventure. The first circumnavigation from west to east. (Furneaux was a veteran of Byron's expedition so he was also the first person to circumnavigate in both directions.)
• James Cook, 1772–1775 in HMS Resolution.
• Alessandro Malaspina, 1776–1778.
• George Dixon and Nathaniel Portlock, 1785–1788 in Queen Charlotte and King George respectively; early pioneers of the Maritime Fur Trade between the Pacific Northwest and China.
• Robert Gray, 1787–1790, first American circumnavigation.
• Ignacio Maria de Alava, 1795–1803, in Montañés, flagship of a Spanish Navy squadron.
• Adam Johann von Krusenstern and Yuri Lisyansky, 1803–1806, the first Russian circumnavigation.
• Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev, 1819–1821, the first circumnavigation mostly between 60° and 70° S, discovered Antarctica and the first islands south of the Antarctic Circle
• Robert Fitzroy, 1831–1836, in HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin.
• The first Galathea expedition, 1845–1847, first Danish circumnavigation.
• The circunnavigation of SMS Novara, 1857–1859, first Austrian circumnavigation.
• The screw frigate Amazonas, 1856–1858, first Peruvian circumnavigation.
• CSS Shenandoah 1864-65 only Confederate ship to circumnavigate. Capt. James Waddell
• Casto Méndez Núñez, 1865–1868, aboard Numancia, first ironclad warship circumnavigation; "Enloricata navis que primo terram circuivit".
• Fernando Villaamil, 1892–1894, aboard Nautilus, first training ship circumnavigation.
• Joshua Slocum, 1895–1898, first single-handed circumnavigation.
• The Great White Fleet, 1907–1909, first fleet to circumnavigate the world
• Harry Pidgeon, 1921–1925 1932–1937, second single-handed circumnavigation, first person to circumnavigate solo twice.
• Irving Johnson, 1934–1958, sail training pioneer together with his wife Electa "Exy" Johnson, circumnavigated the world 7 times with amateur crews.
• Vito Dumas 1942 single handed circumnavivagation of the southern oceans, including the first single handed passage of all three great capes.
• Operation Sandblast, USS Triton, 1960 first underwater circumnavigation.
• Operation Sea Orbit, 1964, first circumnavigation by an all-nuclear squadron: USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), USS Long Beach (CGN-9), and USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25).
• Robin Lee Graham, 1965-c. 1970, youngest at the time (at age 16-21) solo circumnavigation aboard 24' sailboat Dove.
• Sir Francis Chichester, 1966–1967, first single-handed circumnavigation with just one port of call.
• Robin Knox-Johnston, 1968–1969, first single-handed non-stop circumnavigation.
• Chay Blyth, 1971, first westwards single-handed non-stop circumnavigation.
• Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, 1976–1978, first woman to perform a single-handed circumnavigation.
• Naomi James, 1977–1978, first woman to perform a single-handed circumnavigation via Cape Horn.
• Mark Schrader, completed two solo circumnavigations. In 1982–1983 became the first American to complete a solo circumnavigation via the 5 Great Capes.
• Marvin Creamer (USA), 21 December 1982 – 17 May 1984, only known person to circumnavigate the globe by boat with no nautical aids, not even a compass or watch [1].
• Curtis and Lettie Ciszek Sept.1982 -June 1987, Seattle to Seattle, S/V Rough & Ready 42' ketch Daughter Eulalie was 3-months old when starting voyage and 4.5 when completed may be youngest ever circumnavigator. Daughter Shelly born on board along the way. Hilo, HI 1st redundant port.
• David Scott Cowper, 1985, first single-handed circumnavigation by motor boat.
• Teddy Seymour, 1987, the first African-American to complete solo single-handed circumnavigation, aboard sailboat Love Song.
• Tania Aebi, 1985–1987, American woman who completed a solo circumnavigation by the age of 20, one 80-nautical-mile (150 km) stretch with crew disqualified her from an official record.
• Kay Cottee, 1988, first woman to perform a solo non-stop circumnavigation.
• David Scott Cowper, 1990, first single-handed circumnavigation via the North West Passage.
• David Dicks, 1996, youngest recognised assisted circumnavigation, completed aged 18 years 41 days.
• Henk de Velde, 1997, sailed a catamaran eastbound around the world in 119 days, non-stop. He is still the only person in the world to perform this feat single-handed with a catamaran, except for Ellen MacArthur and more.
• Jesse Martin, 1999, youngest recognised unassisted circumnavigation, completed aged 18 years 66 days.
• Mike Golding, 2001, First person to non-stop circumnavigate in both east and west directions. 1993 World record for westabout circumnavigation 161 days, Group 4. 2001 Vendee Globe Race 7th position.
• Charl DeVilliers, 2004, First deaf person to perform a solo circumnavigation.
• Bruno Peyron and crew, 2005, set current windpowered circumnavigation record, 50 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes, aboard maxi catamaran Orange II.
• Ellen MacArthur, 2005, then the fastest singlehanded circumnavigation (71 days), still (2010) she is the fastest woman. In 2001 she also circumnavigated singlehandedly as the then fastest woman.
• Donna Lange, 2005–2007, East about via the southern ocean with three stops.
• Dee Caffari, 2006, first woman to perform a solo westabout non-stop circumnavigation, in 178 days.
• Fernando Garcia-DuBose 2006-2008, Circumnavigation North Atlantic Route.
• Natasza Caban, 2007–2009, Polish woman, born 1977, East to West, Hawaii to Hawaii through the Panama Canal, boat "Tanasza"
• Zac Sunderland, 2008–2009, youngest person (aged 16–17 years) to perform a circumnavigation through Panama Canal (with stops) at the time he completed his voyage. Six weeks later Michael Perham (who is 3 1/2 months his junior) claimed the distinction.
• Michael Perham, 2009, youngest person (aged 16–17 years) to perform a circumnavigation through Panama Canal (he made stops)
• Jessica Watson, 2010, youngest person (aged 16) to perform a solo circumnavigation (she made no stops).
• Reid Stowe, 2010, eastbound circumnavigation, non-stop, for 1152 days: longest time spent at sea without resupply or touching land.
• Jeanne Socrates, 2011, oldest woman (aged 68) to perform eastbound singlehanded circumnavigation (with stops) via Cape Horn.

Significant nonglobal maritime circumnavigations

• Phoenician expedition sent by Pharaoh Necho II, c. 600 BC, possibly circumnavigating Africa.
• Roman Governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola, c. 80, first circumnavigation of Britain.
• Jacques Cartier, 1534–1535, first circumnavigation of Newfoundland.
• García de Nodal, 1619, first circumnavigation of Tierra del Fuego.
• James Cook, 1769–1770, first circumnavigation of New Zealand.
• Matthew Flinders, 1801–1803, first circumnavigation of Australia.
• Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, 1878–1879, first circumnavigation of Eurasia, via the Northeast Passage and the Suez Canal.
• RCMP St Roch — first vessel to circumnavigate North America. 1940-1942, Vancouver to Halifax, Nova Scotia, via the Northwest Passage. 1950, Halifax to Vancouver, via the Panama Canal.
• HMCS Labrador (AW 50), 1954, first vessel to circumnavigate North America in a single voyage, via the Panama Canal.
• USS Belmont, 1967, circumnavigated South America via the Panama Canal.
• CCGS Hudson, 1970, first circumnavigation of North and South America.
• Miles Clark circumnavigate Europe in 1992, going from White Sea to Black Sea through several Russian waterways.
• Phoenicia, a replica of the Phoenician ships, remade the possible circumnavigation of Africa, but completed the modern trip by going from Syria to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal.
• In 2011, Peter Schmidt Mikkelsen and John Murray plan to circumnavigate the Arctic, which is possible after many passages that were covered with ice melted.

Fastest nautical circumnavigations of the globe

• Bruno Peyron (French), January–March 2005, fastest circumnavigation 50 days 16 hours 20 minutes 4 seconds.
• Jean Luc Van Den Heede (French), 2004, fastest westward single-handed circumnavigation, 122 days 14 hours 3 minutes 49 seconds.
• Adrienne Cahalan (Australian), February–March 2004, fastest woman to complete a circumnavigation (crew of "Cheyenne") 58 days 9 hours 32 minutes 45 seconds
• Francis Joyon (French), Nov 2007–Jan 2008, fastest single-handed 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes, 6 seconds.
• Jon Sanders holds the world record for completing a single-handed triple circumnavigation.
• The RMS Queen Mary 2, at 148,528 gross tons, became the world's largest passenger ship to circumnavigate the globe during her 2007 world cruise.

Aircraft

• United States Army Air Service, 1924, first aerial circumnavigation, 175 days, covering 44,360 kilometres (27,553 miles).
• Baron F. M. Koenig Warthausen, starting in September 1928 circumnavigated the globe solo over the next two years.
• LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin, 1929, piloted by Hugo Eckener set a record for the fastest aerial circumnavigation, 21 days, which was also the first circumnavigation in an airship.
• On 1 July 1931, pilot Wiley Post and navigator Harold Gatty completed their circumnavigation of the world in a Lockheed Vega aeroplane, Winnie Mae, in 8 days, 15 hours and 51 minutes; the record for fastest circumnavigation was once again held by an aeroplane.
• In 1932 Wolfgang von Gronau flew around the World with a twin engine Dornier seaplane, Gronland-Wal D-2053, in nearly four months, making 44 stops en route. He was accompanied by co-pilot Gerth von Roth, mechanic Franzl Hack, and radio operator Frtiz Albrecht.
• In 1933 Wiley Post repeated his circumnavigation by aeroplane, but this time solo, using an autopilot and radio direction finder. He made the first solo aerial circumnavigation in a time one day faster than his previous record: 7 days, 19 hours, 49 minutes, in which he covered 25,110 kilometres (15,596 mi).
• In 1949 the United States Air Force B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II made the first non-stop aerial circumnavigation in 94 hours and 1 minute. Four in-air refuelings were required for the flight, which covered 37,743 kilometres (23,452 mi).
• Geraldine Mock, 1964, first woman to complete a solo aerial circumnavigation.
• Don Taylor, 1976, first general aviation circumnavigation by homebuilt aircraft.
• Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, 1986, Voyager, first non-refueled circumnavigation in an airplane, 9 days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds.
• In 1992 an Air France Concorde achieved the fastest non-orbital circumnavigation in 32 hours 49 minutes and 3 seconds.
• Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones, 1999, first non-stop balloon circumnavigation in Breitling Orbiter 3, 19 days, 1 hour and 49 minutes, covering 42,810 kilometres.
• Polly Vacher, 2001, in the smallest aircraft flown in a solo circumnavigation by a woman, via Australia and the Pacific.
• Steve Fossett, 2 July 2002, first solo balloon circumnavigation.
• Steve Fossett, 3 March 2005, GlobalFlyer, first non-stop, non-refueled solo circumnavigation in an airplane, 67 hours, covering 37,000 kilometres.
• Steve Fossett, 11 February 2006, GlobalFlyer, longest non-stop, non-refueled solo flight (with circumnavigation) in an airplane, covering 42,469.5 kilometres (26,389.3 mi), in 76 hours and 45 minutes.

Spacecraft

• On 12 April 1961 Yuri Gagarin made the first human flight in space, and completed the first orbit of the Earth, in Vostok 1, in 108 minutes.
• The second and third orbital circumnavigations, the first two to have multiple orbits, were made by Gherman Titov (17.5 orbits, a little over a day, for the Soviet Union) and John Glenn, in Friendship 7 (3 orbits, almost five hours, for the USA, first American orbital flight), respectively.
• The first woman to circumnavigate the Earth in orbit, and to also do so multiple times, was Valentina Tereshkova, who made forty-eight orbits between 16 and 19 June 1963, aboard Vostok 6.
• Frank F. Borman II, James A. Lovell Jr., and William A. Anders, 21–27 December 1968, first human circumnavigation of the Earth-Moon system, 10 orbits around the moon in about 20 hours, aboard Apollo 8; total trip to the moon and back was more than 6 Earth days.
• Sally K. Ride, Ph.D., 18–24 June 1983, the first American woman to circumnavigate the Earth in orbit, the youngest American to-date to do so (aged 32 years, 23 days), and the first American woman to do so multiple times; she flew 97 orbits during STS-7 aboard Space Shuttle Challenger.

Mixed transportation

See also: Long-distance riding

• Thomas Stevens was the first person to circle the globe by bicycle. The feat was accomplished between 1884 and 1886. While impressive at the time, a good portion of the trip was by steamer due to technical and political reasons.
• Nellie Bly traveled around the world with public steamboats and trains in 72 days (from November 14, 1889 to January 25, 1890), a world record, resembling the Around the World in Eighty Days novel.
• George Matthew Schilling is reputed to have walked around the world between 1897 and 1904, though this feat was unverified.
• Clärenore Stinnes and Carl-Axel Söderström were the first persons to drive around the world in a car between 25 May 1927 and 24 June 1929.
• David Kunst was the first verified person to walk around the world between 20 June 1970 and 10 October 1974.
• Arthur Blessitt walked around the world carrying a 45 lb (20 kg) wooden cross, covering 38,102 miles (61,319 km) through 315 countries, between 1969 and 2008.
• Heinz Stucke has been cycling around the world since 1965.
• Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Charles Burton and their team circumnavigated 'vertically' via the two poles on the Transglobe Expedition.
• Rick Hansen, a world-class paraplegic athlete, became the first person to travel around the world in a wheelchair on 22 May 1987, covering over 40,000 km through 34 countries on four continents.
• Robert Garside is credited by Guinness World Records as the first person to run around the world between 1997–2003, taking 2,062 days to cover 30,000 miles across 29 countries and 6 continents.
• Colin Angus circumnavigated the northern hemisphere solely by human power in 2006 but did not qualify under the Guinness guidelines as a human powered circumnavigation. His attempt however was recognized by National Geographic as the first human powered circumnavigation.
• Jason Lewis completed a human powered circumnavigation in 2007 which reached antipodal points. However it still failed to meet Guinness rules for a human powered circumnavigation.
• Mark Beaumont broke the record for cycling around globe in 2008. He began his attempt on 5 August 2007 and completed the 18,297 mile journey across 4 continents and 21 countries 194 days and 17 hours later on 15 February 2008.
• Ed Gillespie (environmental communicator and Co-Founder of "Futerra") travelled around the world without flying between March 2007 and March 2008
• Rosie Swale-Pope travelled 32,000 kilometres (20,000 mi) in 2008 completed circumnavigation solely on foot (except for airplane or boats over the seas).
• Garry Sowerby holds four world records for circumnavigation in an automobile.

Fictional

• Jules Verne's 1872 adventure novel, Around the World in Eighty Days describes a fictional circumnavigation. Upper class Englishman Phileas Fogg and his servant Passepartout use a variety of transportation means and ingenuity to accomplish the adventurous feat. The book is a tribute to the new transportation possibilities of the early Industrial Revolution, with the coming of steamships, railways, etc, before which a year was a more probable time for a circumnavigation. British actor Michael Palin attempted in 1988 to follow the route as closely as possible in his television series Around the World in 80 Days.

See also

• Russian circumnavigations
• First Russian circumnavigation