File:Selkirk_reading_his_Bible.png · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Born
- 1676, Lower Largo , Fife , Scotland
- Died
- 13 December 1721 (aged 45), Cape Coast , Gold Coast
- Occupation
- Sailor
- Known for
- Inspiring Robinson Crusoe
- Parent s
- John Selcraig, Euphan Mackie
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Alexander
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United Kingdom
- Place of birth
- Lower Largo
- Place of death
- Cape Coast
- Occupation
- sailor
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Image
- Alexander Selkirk Statue.jpg
Show 7 more facts
- Commons category
- Alexander Selkirk
- date of death
- 1721-12-13
- cause of death
- yellow fever
- manner of death
- natural causes
- place of burial
- Cape Coast
- name in native language
- Alexander Selkirk
- date of birth
- 1676-00-00
via Wikidata · CC0
~23 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Alexander Selkirk (1676 – 13 December 1721) was a Scottish privateer and Royal Navy officer who spent four years and four months as a castaway (1704–1709) after being marooned by his captain, initially at his request, on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific Ocean.
Selkirk was an unruly youth and joined buccaneering voyages to the South Pacific during the War of the Spanish Succession. One such expedition was on Cinque Ports, captained by Thomas Stradling, under the overall command of William Dampier. Stradling's ship stopped to resupply at the uninhabited Juan Fernández Islands, west of South America, and Selkirk judged correctly that the craft was unseaworthy and asked to be left there. Selkirk's suspicions were soon justified, as Cinque Ports foundered near Malpelo Island 400 km (250 mi) from the coast of what is now Colombia.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Alexander Selkirk” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.