The answer could be yes... and it could be no. It all depends on what is meant by "circumnavigate the Earth." Magellan was, yes, the first person to circumnavigate the globe - but not in one trip.Fernando de Magallanes was a Portuguese nobleman. He had sailed to the East Indies with the Portuguese navy, then returned to Europe. After a battle in Morocco, he was accused of trading with the enemy, so he had to leave Portugal and go to Spain. There, the king became interested in his plan to sail around South America and find a route to the east through the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Magellan left Spain in 1519 with five ships. He crossed the southern tip of South America through the pass that in his honor is called the Strait of Magellan. Then sailed across the ocean he named Pacific, due to its gentle winds. It took him 98 days to cross the ocean to the island of Guam, and during that time his men became so hungry that they had to eat sawdust.
In 1521, Magellan arrived in the Philippines and was killed in a fight with the natives. But with this, he achieved the feat of sailing around the world, since he had previously reached the East Indies by sailing through South Africa. Magellan actually sailed the world, but on two separate voyages!
Some of Magellan's men left the Philippines, the Victoria, arrived in Europe in 1522 with just 18 men. These men - with their leader, Juan Sebastian Elcano - were the first navigators in history to circle the world in a single journey.
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