Explorer Francis Drake was an English explorer and privateer who lived in the 16th century. He is best known for his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580, becoming the first Englishman to do so. He also made several voyages to the Caribbean and South America, and was the first Englishman to explore the Pacific Ocean. Drake's exploits made him a hero to the English, and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1581.