A basic definition of a world circumnavigation would be a route which covers at least a Great Circle , and in particular one which passes through at least one pair of points Antipodal to each other. In practice, different definitions of world circumnavigation are used, in order to accommodate practical constraints depending on the method of circumnavigation.
The map on the right shows, in red, a typical Sailing circumnavigation of the world by the Trade Wind s and the Suez and Panama canals; overlaid in yellow are the points antipodal to all points on the route. It can be seen that the route roughly approximates a great circle, and passes through two pairs of antipodal points. This is a route followed by many Cruising sailors; the use of the trade winds makes it a relatively easy sail, although it passes through a number of zones of calms or light winds.
In round-the-world race in red; overlaid in yellow are the points antipodal to all points on the route. It can be seen that the route does not pass through any pairs of antipodal points.
Aviation records take account of the wind circulation patterns of the world; in particular the Jet Stream s, which circulate in the northern and southern hemispheres without crossing the equator. There is therefore no requirement to cross the equator, or to pass through two antipodal points, in the course of setting a round-the-world aviation record. Thus, for example, Steve Fosset 's global circumnavigation by balloon was entirely contained within the southern hemisphere.
For powered aviation, the course of a round-the-world record must start and finish at the same point and cross all meridians; the course must be at least 36,787.559 Kilometre s (22,858.729 Mi ) long (which is the length of the Tropic Of Cancer ). The course must include set control points at latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic circles. ''FAI Sporting Code Section 2: Powered Aerodynes: Speed around the world non-stop and non-refuelled''
In ballooning, which is totally at the mercy of the winds, the requirements are even more relaxed. The course must cross all meridians, and must include a set of checkpoints which are all outside of two circles, chosen by the pilot, having radii of 3,335.85 Kilometre s (2,072.80 Mi ) and enclosing the poles (though not necessarily centred on them). ''FAI Sporting Code Section 1: Aerostats: Around-the-World Records''
- Ferdinand Magellan , 1511 – 1521 (multiple voyages). In 1511 he visited the Moluccas (longitude about 128°E). He returned to Portugal and set out in 1519 to circumnavigate the globe. He discovered and sailed through the Strait Of Magellan and reached the Philippines in 1521, where he was killed at Cebu (longitude about 124°E).
- Henry The Black , ?– 1521 , Magellan's interpreter (multiple voyages). He was captured in Sumatra as a child and taken to the Moluccas where he was sold to Magellan in 1511; he accompanied Magellan on his circumnavigation and ended up on Cebu in the Philippines .
- The 18 survivors of Ferdinand Magellan 's expedition, 1519 – 1522 , in '' Victoria ''. After Magellan died in the Philippines in 1521 , the circumnavigation was completed under the command of Juan Sebastian Elcano . .
- The survivors of Garcia Jofre De Loaysa 's Spanish expedition, 1525 – 1536 . None of Loaysa's seven ships completed the voyage, but ''Santa Maria de la Victoria'' reached the Moluccas before being wrecked in a Portuguese attack. Fernando De La Torre and eight survivors return to Spain on a Portuguese ship.
- Francis Drake , 1577 – 1580 , in '' Golden Hind ''. Discovered the Drake Passage but entered the Pacific via the Strait Of Magellan .
- Thomas Cavendish , 1586 – 1588 , in '' Desire ''.
- The survivors of the expeditions of Jacques Mahu and Olivier Van Noort , 1598 – 1601 . Of Mahu's five and Van Noort's four ships only two returned.
- George Spilberg , 1614 – 1617 .
- Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire , 1615 – 1617 in ''Eendraght''. Discovered Cape Horn ; the first expedition to enter the Pacific via the Drake Passage .
- Jacob L'Hermite and John Hugo Schapenham , 1623 – 1626 .
- Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Carreri , 1693 – 1698 . The first Tourist to circumnavigate the globe, paying his own way on multiple voyages, crossing Mexico on land.
- William Dampier ( English ) 1679 – 1691 ; 1703 – 1707 ; and 1708 – 1711 . First person to circumnavigate the world twice.
- George Anson, 1st Baron Anson , 1740 – 1744 , in HMS ''Centurion'' .
- John Byron , 1764 – 1766 , in HMS ''Dolphin'' . First circumnavigation in less than two years.
- Samuel Wallis and Philip Carteret , 1766 – 1768 , in ''Dolphin'' and HMS ''Swallow'' . Carteret had served on Byron's expedition. ''Dolphin'' was the first ship to survive two circumnavigations.
- James Cook , 1768 – 1771 , in HMS ''Endeavour'' . The first circumnavigation to lose no personnel to Scurvy .
- Tobias Furneaux , 1772 – 1774 , in HMS ''Adventure'' . The first circumnavigation from west to east. (Furneaux was a veteran of Byron's expedition so he was also the first person to circumnavigate in both directions.)
- James Cook , 1772 – 1775 in HMS ''Resolution'' .
- Robert Gray , 1787 – 1790 , first American circumnavigation.
- Adam Johann Von Krusenstern , 1803 – 1806 first Russia n circumnavigation.
- Robert Fitzroy , 1831 – 1836 , in HMS ''Beagle'' with Charles Darwin .
- The first Galathea Expedition , 1845 – 1847 , first Danish circumnavigation.
- Joshua Slocum , 1895 – 1898 , first Single-handed circumnavigation.
- Harry Pidgeon , 1921 – 1925 1932 – 1937 , second Single-handed circumnavigation, first person to circumnavigate solo twice.
- USS ''Triton'' , 1960 first Underwater circumnavigation.
- Irving Johnson , 1934 – 1958 , Sail Training pioneer together with his wife Electa "Exy" Johnson, circumnavigated the world 7 times with amateur crews.
- Robin Lee Graham , 1965 -c. 1970 , youngest at the time (at age 16-21) solo circumnavigation aboard 24' sailboat ''Dove.''
- Tania Aebi , 1985 – 1987 , youngest (at age 18-20) and first American woman to complete a solo circumnavigation aboard 26' sailboat ''Varuna."
- Sir Francis Chichester , 1966 – 1967 , first Single-handed circumnavigation with just one Port Of Call .
- Robin Knox-Johnston , 1968 – 1969 , first Single-handed non-stop circumnavigation.
- Chay Blyth , 1971 , first westwards Single-handed non-stop circumnavigation.
- Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz , 1976 – 1978 , first woman to perform a Single-handed circumnavigation.
- Naomi James , 1977 – 1978 , first woman to perform a Single-handed circumnavigation via Cape Horn.
- Marvin Creamer ( USA ), December 21 , 1982 – May 17 , 1984 , only known person to circumnavigate the globe by boat with no nautical aids, not even a compass or watch {Link without Title} .
- Kay Cottee , 1988 , first woman to perform a solo non-stop circumnavigation.
- Phoenicia n expedition sent by Pharaoh Necho II , c. 600 BC , first circumnavigation of Africa .
- Roman Governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola , c. 80 , first circumnavigation of Britain .
- Jacques Cartier , 1534 – 1535 first circumnavigation of Newfoundland .
- James Cook , 1769 – 1770 first circumnavigation of New Zealand .
- Matthew Flinders , 1801 – 1803 first circumnavigation of Australia .
- RCMP ''St Roch'' — first vessel to circumnavigate North America . 1940 - 1942 , Vancouver to Halifax , via the Northwest Passage . 1950 , Halifax to Vancouver, via the Panama Canal .
- , 1954 , first vessel to circumnavigate North America in a single voyage.
- United States Army Air Service , 1924 , First Aerial Circumnavigation , 175 days, covering 44,360 kilometres (27,553 miles).
- LZ-127 '' Graf Zeppelin '', 1929 , first circumnavigation in an airship by Hugo Eckener , 21 days.
- Wiley Post , 1933 , first solo aerial circumnavigation, 7 days, 19 hours, 49 minutes covering 25,110 kilometres (15,596 miles).
- United States Air Force , 1949 , first non-stop aerial circumnavigation, 4 in-air refuelings, 94 hours, 1 minute, covering 37,743 km (23,452 miles) in the B-50 Superfortress ''Lucky Lady II''.
- Yuri Gagarin in Vostok 1 was the first Human Spaceflight and orbited the Earth in 1961 .
- Geraldine Mock , 1964 , first woman to complete a solo aerial circumnavigation.
- Don Taylor , 1976 , first General Aviation circumnavigation by Homebuilt Aircraft .
- Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager , 1986 , Voyager , first non-refueled circumnavigation in an airplane, 9 days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds.
- Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones , 1999 , first non-stop Balloon circumnavigation in ''Breitling Orbiter 3'' , 19 days, 1 hour and 49 minutes, covering 42,810 kilometres.
- Steve Fossett , 2 July 2002 , first solo balloon circumnavigation.
- Steve Fossett , 3 March , 2005 , first non-stop, non-refueled solo circumnavigation in an airplane, 67 hours, covering 37,000 kilometres.
- , 2006 .
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