Click here for an excellent 360° tour of the Golden Hinde (external site).

Date	Event
1576-77	Drake began plans for a major privateering mission to Spanish South America.
15th Nov 1577	Drake's fleet set sail from Plymouth but was forced back by a storm.
13th Dec 1577	Drake's fleet set sail from Plymouth a 2nd time.
Dec-April 1578	Drake's fleet was scattered by storms.
May 1578	Drake's fleet reassembled.
July 1578	Execution of Thomas Doughty for alleged witchcraft and treason. Drake then put all his men and supplies onto the 3 best ships and scuttled (sank) the others.
August 1578	Drake renamed his ship the Golden Hinde and set off for the Magellan Straits.
Sept 1578-Jan 1579	The Marigold and the Elizabeth were separated from the main fleet in a storm and returned home. Drake's Golden Hinde was now on its own.
Feb 1579	Drake attacked the Spanish settlements in Peru including Valparaiso.
March 1579	Drake captured the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción – his most famous prize (also known as the Cagafuego or fire-shitter). It took four days to transfer it's treasure to the Golden Hinde.
April – Dec 1579	Maria was captured in Guatemala, abused and then abandoned on the other side of the Pacific in Indonesia.
June-July 1579	Drake found a safe harbour near modern day San Francisco to make repairs before returning home. The local Miwok people welcomed him as a god and gave him gifts of tobacco and feathers. Drake claimed the area for Elizabeth and named it New Albion.
Late July 1579	Drake began his journey back to England, West across the Pacific, deciding it would be too dangerous to re-trace his route as the Spanish would be looking for him.
Sept	Drake stopped at the Molucca islands and took on board food and water
Nov 1579	Drake made a trade treaty with the Spice Islands, exchanging English linen, gold and silver for about ten tonnes of exotic spices - mostly cloves, but also ginger, black pepper and nutmeg. (Some of this had to be dumped to make the boat lighter when they were caught on a reef for 3 days in January 1580).
July 1580	Drake rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Drinking water had to be rationed out.
26th Sept 1580	Drake landed in Plymouth with one ship, 59 crew and a huge amount of treasure and spices.

GCSE Elizabethan England 1568-1603 AQA

Key Events of Drake's Circumnavigation 1577-1580