EXPLORER
Francis Drake
1540 - 1596

Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake (c. 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 first English expedition to accomplish this). He is also known for participating in the early English slaving voyages of his cousin, John Hawkins, and John Lovell. Having started as a simple seaman, in 1588 he was part of the fight against the Spanish Armada as a vice admiral. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Francis Drake is the 16th most popular explorer (down from 12th in 2019), the 91st most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 50th in 2019) and the 2nd most popular British Explorer.
Francis Drake was an English explorer and privateer, who was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world. He is most famous for his raids on Spanish ships and settlements in the Americas.
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Among EXPLORERS
Among explorers, Francis Drake ranks 16 out of 498. Before him are Bartolomeu Dias, Prince Henry the Navigator, Zheng He, James Cook, Jacques Cartier, and Francisco Pizarro. After him are Robert Falcon Scott, Fridtjof Nansen, Pedro Álvares Cabral, Abel Tasman, Vitus Bering, and Erik the Red.
Most Popular Explorers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsBartolomeu Dias
1450 - 1500
HPI: 84.66
Rank: 10
Prince Henry the Navigator
1394 - 1460
HPI: 84.33
Rank: 11
Zheng He
1387 - 1433
HPI: 84.21
Rank: 12
James Cook
1728 - 1779
HPI: 84.14
Rank: 13
Jacques Cartier
1491 - 1557
HPI: 82.21
Rank: 14
Francisco Pizarro
1478 - 1541
HPI: 82.05
Rank: 15
Francis Drake
1540 - 1596
HPI: 81.71
Rank: 16
Robert Falcon Scott
1868 - 1912
HPI: 80.52
Rank: 17
Fridtjof Nansen
1861 - 1930
HPI: 80.38
Rank: 18
Pedro Álvares Cabral
1467 - 1520
HPI: 80.00
Rank: 19
Abel Tasman
1603 - 1659
HPI: 79.90
Rank: 20
Vitus Bering
1681 - 1741
HPI: 79.77
Rank: 21
Erik the Red
950 - 1003
HPI: 79.56
Rank: 22
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1540, Francis Drake ranks 1. After him are François Viète, Ludolph van Ceulen, Charles II, Archduke of Austria, John Sigismund Zápolya, Joseph Justus Scaliger, Lady Katherine Grey, Maharana Pratap, Hümaşah Sultan, José de Acosta, Magnus, Duke of Holstein, and Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme. Among people deceased in 1596, Francis Drake ranks 1. After him are Jean Bodin, Anna Jagiellon, Koca Sinan Pasha, Blaise de Vigenère, Pellegrino Tibaldi, George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, Giaches de Wert, Hamnet Shakespeare, Pierre Pithou, and George Peele.
Others Born in 1540
Go to all RankingsFrancis Drake
EXPLORER
1540 - 1596
HPI: 81.71
Rank: 1
François Viète
MATHEMATICIAN
1540 - 1603
HPI: 79.70
Rank: 2
Ludolph van Ceulen
MATHEMATICIAN
1540 - 1610
HPI: 74.79
Rank: 3
Charles II, Archduke of Austria
POLITICIAN
1540 - 1590
HPI: 74.23
Rank: 4
John Sigismund Zápolya
POLITICIAN
1540 - 1571
HPI: 73.33
Rank: 5
Joseph Justus Scaliger
HISTORIAN
1540 - 1609
HPI: 70.98
Rank: 6
Lady Katherine Grey
NOBLEMAN
1540 - 1568
HPI: 70.25
Rank: 7
Maharana Pratap
POLITICIAN
1540 - 1597
HPI: 69.78
Rank: 8
Hümaşah Sultan
COMPANION
1540 - 1592
HPI: 67.77
Rank: 9
José de Acosta
WRITER
1540 - 1600
HPI: 65.66
Rank: 10
Magnus, Duke of Holstein
POLITICIAN
1540 - 1583
HPI: 65.32
Rank: 11
Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme
HISTORIAN
1540 - 1614
HPI: 64.19
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1596
Go to all RankingsFrancis Drake
EXPLORER
1540 - 1596
HPI: 81.71
Rank: 1
Jean Bodin
PHILOSOPHER
1530 - 1596
HPI: 78.77
Rank: 2
Anna Jagiellon
POLITICIAN
1523 - 1596
HPI: 73.00
Rank: 3
Koca Sinan Pasha
POLITICIAN
1520 - 1596
HPI: 68.01
Rank: 4
Blaise de Vigenère
WRITER
1523 - 1596
HPI: 66.43
Rank: 5
Pellegrino Tibaldi
PAINTER
1527 - 1596
HPI: 63.73
Rank: 6
George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
POLITICIAN
1547 - 1596
HPI: 63.10
Rank: 7
Giaches de Wert
COMPOSER
1535 - 1596
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 8
Hamnet Shakespeare
WRITER
1585 - 1596
HPI: 59.88
Rank: 9
Pierre Pithou
WRITER
1539 - 1596
HPI: 57.03
Rank: 10
George Peele
WRITER
1556 - 1596
HPI: 49.58
Rank: 11
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, Francis Drake ranks 91 out of 8,785. Before him are Tom Jones (1940), James Clerk Maxwell (1831), Richard Burton (1925), Olav V of Norway (1903), Edward the Martyr (962), and Virginia Woolf (1882). After him are Charles Babbage (1791), Princess Alice of Battenberg (1885), Thomas More (1478), Joseph Lister (1827), Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900), and Sean Connery (1930).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsTom Jones
SINGER
1940 - Present
HPI: 82.08
Rank: 85
James Clerk Maxwell
PHYSICIST
1831 - 1879
HPI: 82.02
Rank: 86
Richard Burton
ACTOR
1925 - 1984
HPI: 81.95
Rank: 87
Olav V of Norway
POLITICIAN
1903 - 1991
HPI: 81.84
Rank: 88
Edward the Martyr
POLITICIAN
962 - 978
HPI: 81.82
Rank: 89
Virginia Woolf
WRITER
1882 - 1941
HPI: 81.81
Rank: 90
Francis Drake
EXPLORER
1540 - 1596
HPI: 81.71
Rank: 91
Charles Babbage
INVENTOR
1791 - 1871
HPI: 81.59
Rank: 92
Princess Alice of Battenberg
NOBLEMAN
1885 - 1969
HPI: 81.55
Rank: 93
Thomas More
PHILOSOPHER
1478 - 1535
HPI: 81.52
Rank: 94
Joseph Lister
PHYSICIAN
1827 - 1912
HPI: 81.46
Rank: 95
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
NOBLEMAN
1900 - 2002
HPI: 81.23
Rank: 96
Sean Connery
ACTOR
1930 - 2020
HPI: 81.18
Rank: 97
Among EXPLORERS In United Kingdom
Among explorers born in United Kingdom, Francis Drake ranks 2. Before him are James Cook (1728). After him are Robert Falcon Scott (1868), David Livingstone (1813), William Adams (1564), John Davis (1550), Henry Morton Stanley (1841), William Baffin (1584), Henry Hudson (1570), John Ross (1777), William Dampier (1651), and John Smith (1580).
James Cook
1728 - 1779
HPI: 84.14
Rank: 1
Francis Drake
1540 - 1596
HPI: 81.71
Rank: 2
Robert Falcon Scott
1868 - 1912
HPI: 80.52
Rank: 3
David Livingstone
1813 - 1873
HPI: 77.19
Rank: 4
William Adams
1564 - 1620
HPI: 75.97
Rank: 5
John Davis
1550 - 1605
HPI: 74.69
Rank: 6
Henry Morton Stanley
1841 - 1904
HPI: 72.31
Rank: 7
William Baffin
1584 - 1622
HPI: 72.23
Rank: 8
Henry Hudson
1570 - 1611
HPI: 71.66
Rank: 9
John Ross
1777 - 1856
HPI: 70.44
Rank: 10
William Dampier
1651 - 1715
HPI: 70.31
Rank: 11
John Smith
1580 - 1631
HPI: 69.66
Rank: 12