Ferdinand Magellan had five ships and 280 men at his disposal; Joshua Slocum just had his experience and wits to help him achieve his solo circumnavigation. Born in Nova Scotia in 1844, he left home at the age of sixteen and spent his formative years on merchant vessels. He moved the U.S and became a citizen, starting up his own fleet of transport ships. He himself sailed thousands of miles on business as well as for adventure before deciding to embark on the most audacious voyage yet.

On this day. June 27, in 1898, Slocum returned Newport, Rhode Island, as the first person to circumnavigate the world alone. Slocum braved treacherous currents and pirates, traveling in a zig-zag pattern that took him more than 46,000 miles.

Slocum’s return was overshadowed by the Spanish-American war just starting up at the time, but after the resumption of peace his story was published, to great acclaim, by many major newspapers. A year after his return Slocum published his own account of the epic voyage in Sailing Alone Around the World. The book was a best-seller at the time and is still popular to this day.