Sir Francis Drake: Pirate, Explorer, and Knight of the High Seas

Sir Francis Drake was born in 1540, but he was not always "Sir." He earned that prestigious title not through noble birth but through bold exploits on the high seas—many of which might be called piracy by today’s standards.

Drake is best known for leading the first English-sponsored circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, a daring voyage tha…