On This Day

Francis Drake completes his circumnavigation of the world, sailing into Plymouth, England aboard the Golden Hind

Golden Hind was a galleon captained by Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580.

Golden Hind was a galleon captained by Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580. She was originally known as Pelican, but Drake renamed her mid-voyage in 1578, in honour of his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose crest was a golden hind (a female red deer). Hatton was one of the principal sponsors of Drake's world voyage. A full-sized, seaworthy reconstruction is in London, on the south bank of the Thames.

Historical Significance

Golden Hind was a galleon captained by Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580.

Key People

Francis Drake

sailor and privateer

English sailor and privateer

Events Before

  1. English navigator Francis Drake lands on the coast of California at what becomes known as Drakes Bay, for ship repairs;

    English navigator Francis Drake lands on the coast of California at what becomes known as Drakes Bay, for ship repairs; claims area on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, and names it "Nova Albion" [1] [2]

  2. Northern Hasburg Netherlands counties of Artois and Hainault and city Dowaai sign pro-Spanish and pro-Roman Catholic Uni

    Northern Hasburg Netherlands counties of Artois and Hainault and city Dowaai sign pro-Spanish and pro-Roman Catholic Union of Arras (Unie van Atrecht)

  3. Union of Utrecht signed by Northern Habsburg counties of Holland and Zeeland, and provinces of Utrecht and Groningen, ma

    Union of Utrecht signed by Northern Habsburg counties of Holland and Zeeland, and provinces of Utrecht and Groningen, marking the beginning of protestant Dutch Republic

  4. Betuwe joins the Union of Utrecht

    Betuwe joins the Union of Utrecht

  5. Veluwe joins the Union of Utrecht

    The Union of Utrecht (Dutch: Unie van Utrecht) was an alliance based on an agreement concluded on 23 January 1579 between a number of Dutch provinces and cities, to reach a joint commitment against...

Events After

  1. Francis Drake is knighted by Queen Elizabeth I aboard his galleon, the "Golden Hind" at Deptford, England

    Sir Francis Drake (1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer and privateer best known for making the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (being the…

  2. The first ballet "Ballet Comique de la Reine," commissioned by Catherine de Medici, is staged in Paris

    Ballet is a formalized italian dance form with its origins in the Italian Renaissance courts of 15th and 16th centuries.

  3. English Parliament passes laws restricting Catholicism

    English Parliament passes laws restricting Catholicism

  4. English Jesuit priest Edmund Campion arrested for sedition in Anglican England (later hung, drawn and quartered)

    English Jesuit priest Edmund Campion arrested for sedition in Anglican England (later hung, drawn and quartered)

  5. Leiden University names Rudolph Snellius as math professor

    Leiden University names Rudolph Snellius as math professor

More from the 1580s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 26, 1580?
Golden Hind was a galleon captained by Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580. She was originally known as Pelican, but Drake renamed her mid-voyage in 1578, in honour of his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose crest was a golden hind (a female red deer). Hatton was one of the principal sponsors of Drake's world voyage.
Why is Francis Drake completes his circumnavigation of the world, sailing into Plymo... significant?
Golden Hind was a galleon captained by Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580.
Who was involved in Francis Drake completes his circumnavigation of the world, sailing into Plymo...?
Key figures include Francis Drake (sailor and privateer).

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