Who discovered that the world was round?

A spherical model of the Earth was first suggested by Plato, the Greek philosopher and mathematician. His theory was confirmed by the calculations of Pythagoras, an Ionian Greek mathematician. In 1514, Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the Earth was a spherical body that revolved around the sun.

Copernicus' theory was unpopular during his time since it went against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The idea of a spherical Earth was not widely accepted until Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigated the world in 1519. The Strait of Magellan, a navigable sea route off the southern coast of South America, was also discovered during this trip.