Francis Drake
~1540–1596 · English · Elizabethan Era
Known for: Circumnavigated the globe, helped defeat the Spanish Armada, and terrorized Spanish shipping worldwide
Sir Francis Drake was the most feared English sailor of the Elizabethan era. He was the second person to circumnavigate the globe, a feat he accomplished while raiding Spanish ports along the way. He helped defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I on the deck of his ship.
He was a master navigator, a ruthless privateer, and a national hero in England. The Spanish called him 'El Draque' and considered him a pirate. He famously completed a game of bowls before engaging the Armada, saying 'There is plenty of time to win this game and to thrash the Spaniards too.' He died of dysentery off Panama and was buried at sea in a lead coffin.
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