Sir Francis Drake

Drake, Sir Francis (1543–96), English admiral, the first English explorer to sail around the world (1577–80). During his circumnavigation aboard the Golden Hind, Drake seized a fortune in booty from Spanish settlements along the South American Pacific coast. He was knighted on his return by Queen Elizabeth I. In 1587 he destroyed a large part of the Spanish fleet at anchor in Cadiz harbor. The following year he was joint commander of the English fleet that, with the help of a storm, dis-persed and destroyed the Spanish Armada (1588).