9/21/2023


Enrique of Malacca
Who Was Enrique of Malacca? Enrique of Malacca was the first person to circumnavigate the globe linguistically—he traveled so far in one direction (west) that he came to a place where his own language was spoken. Enrique may have also circumnavigated the globe completely, a full circle of the earth beginning and ending in Malacca or somewhere in the Philippines. Enrique’s 10-year journey began in 1511 when Ferdinand Magellan took him as a slave following the Portuguese invasion of Malacca, and continued on Magellan’s Armada de Molucca. Enrique was last seen at Cebu. Read more about Enrique of Malacca.