Historical eventJune 171579

Francis Drake

Explorer Francis Drake landed in a region of present-day California, naming it New Albion and claiming it for England.

Everything on June 17Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, June 17 1579447 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
16th century · 1570s
Calendar
Julian — as recorded at the time
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Dates before 15 October 1582 are in the Julian calendar, so the weekday shown follows the Julian reckoning of the time.

At a glance

Dates: From 1579.

What happened

Sir Francis Drake was an English explorer and privateer best known for making the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580. He is also known for participating in the early English slaving voyages of his cousin, John Hawkins, and John Lovell. Having started as a simple seaman, in 1588 he was part of the fight against the Spanish Armada as a vice admiral.

June 17 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1579Francis Drake
  2. 1987Dusky seaside sparrow
  3. 1989Interflug Flight 102
  4. 1991Apartheid
  5. 1992George H. W. Bush
  6. 1994O. J. Simpson
  7. 2009Czech Pirate Party
  8. 2015Charleston church shooting
  9. 2015White supremacy
  10. 2017June 2017 Portugal wildfires
  11. 2021Juneteenth

Also in 1579

  • February 6Domingo de SalazarDomingo de Salazar, a Spanish Dominican friar, was appointed the first bishop of Manila.
  • October 19Entry of James VI into EdinburghA ceremony was held in Edinburgh marking the coming of age of James VI of Scotland as an adult ruler.

Everything we record for 1579 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Francis Drake”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/francis-drake-1579-june-17, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Francis Drake happen?

June 17 1579 — 447 years ago, on a Wednesday.

Is this a Julian or a Gregorian date?

It is the date as recorded at the time, on the Julian calendar. The Gregorian equivalent falls about ten days later; sources from different countries may give either.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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