The First Person to Circumnavigate the Earth Was Actually a Slave
Ferdinand Magellan gets credit for the first circumnavigation, but he died midway through the journey. His slave, Enrique of Malacca, likely completed a global circuit first. Captured in Malaysia and taken to Portugal, he later joined Magellan’s voyage as an interpreter. When the expedition reached Southeast Asia, Enrique had returned to his starting region, effectively completing a personal circumnavigation before anyone else.
