Final answer:
The first explorer to circumnavigate the globe was Ferdinand Magellan. His plan to reach the Spice Islands by sailing west from Portugal was initially rejected by the Portuguese king but accepted and funded by the King of Spain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first explorer to circumnavigate the globe was Ferdinand Magellan, who was a Portuguese sailor. He had planned to find the westward route to reach the Spice Islands by sailing west from Portugal. Fortuitously bypassing the long route that entailed circumventing the East Africa and traversing through the Indian Ocean. However, Ferdinand’s plan was rejected by the Portuguese king. He then decided to offer his services to the king of Spain.
Spain, in return, provided Magellan with the funds and ships necessary to embark on his journey. This vast crew included individuals from many nations, which was a common occurrence on maritime vessels of that era. Despite popular belief, Columbus's voyages did not mark the first contact between European explorers and the Indigenous peoples on the North American continent. This event had in actuality occurred nearly half a millennia before Columbus's first Caribbean stop.
It is worth noting that prior to Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage, other explorers such as Leif Ericson had reached Canada approximately 500 years earlier. In the 15th century, explorers representing Portugal and Spain were the most frequent voyagers who crossed over the Atlantic, and thus ushering in an era of exploration and enduring contact with North America.
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