Oliver van Noort

Oliver van Noort was the fourth navigator and the first Dutchman to circumnavigate the world in the history.

Originating from a modest background in Rotterdam, little is known of his early life. Inspired by the successful expedition of Cornelis de Houtman, who discovered a new sea route to Indonesia and incited the Dutch spice trade, van Noort founded a trading company of his own. He petitioned the Estates General to back his expedition to the “Kingdom of Chili, the west coast of America, and if need be, the islands of the Moluccas.” In 1597 his request was granted and he received guns and gunpowder and a special grant which relieved him of customary export tax for two voyages.

Van Noort was appointed the commander of an expedition of four ships which headed to the South Sea to trade and attack Spanish possessions and shipping on the way. Although he successfully returned to Rotterdam in 1601 by way of the Cape of Good Hope, the voyage proved to be financially unprofitable due to various reasons.

However, his venture inspired other such expeditions which ultimately led to the formation of the Dutch East India Company the next year.