Sir Francis Drake
| Sir Francis Drake | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Born |
c. 1540 , England |
| Died |
27 January 1596 (aged 55) Portobelo, Colón, Panama |
| Piratical career | |
| Nickname | El Draque (Spanish), Draco (Latin, "The Dragon") |
| Type | Privateer |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of England |
| Years active | 1563–1596 |
| Rank | Vice admiral |
| Base of operations | Caribbean Sea |
| Commands |
Golden Hind (previously known as Pelican) Bonaventure Revenge |
| Battles/wars |
Anglo–Spanish War Battle of Gravelines |
| Wealth | Est. Equiv. US$127.9 million in 2016; #2 Forbes top-earning pirates |
Sir Francis Drake, vice admiral (c. 1540 – 27 January 1596) was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Drake carried out the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580, and was the first to complete the voyage as captain while leading the expedition throughout the entire circumnavigation. With his incursion into the Pacific he inaugurated an era of privateering and piracy in the western coast of the Americas—an area that had previously been free of piracy.
Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He died of dysentery in January 1596 after unsuccessfully attacking San Juan, Puerto Rico.
His exploits made him a hero to the English but a pirate to the Spaniards, to whom he was known as El Draque. King Philip II was said to have offered a reward of 20,000 ducats, about £4 million (US$6.5 million) by modern standards, for his life.
Francis Drake was born in , England. Although his birth is not formally recorded, it is known that he was born while the Six Articles were in force. "Drake was two and twenty when he obtained the command of the Judith" (1566). This would date his birth to 1544. A date of c.1540 is suggested from two portraits: one a miniature painted by Nicholas Hilliard in 1581 when he was allegedly 42, the other painted in 1594 when he was said to be 53.
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Wikipedia