Who was the first man to sail around the world?

The first man to sail around the world was Ferdinand Magellan. Magellan was born in Portugal and worked for King Charles I of Spain in an attempt to find a shorter route to the Spice Islands. Spices were in great demand at the time because of the extra boost they gave to meat.

Magellan did not fully complete his voyage. He was killed in a battle in the Philippines called the Battle of Mactan, long before returning home. While he may not have lived to reach Spain or Portugal again, he did return to waters that he had sailed previously coming from the opposite direction, meaning that he had personally sailed around the world, even if it was not all in one trip.