Sir Francis Drake: Bad Ass.

The Queens Pirate, Francis Drake’s lifelong ‘problem’ with Spain started in 1569 at San Juan de Ulúa, when Spaniards ambushed his ship. He survived by
jumping overboard and swimming for his life. From that day on, Drake dedicated himself to sweet revenge, spending the next several years tearing
through Spanish settlements across the Caribbean, he led raids along the Central/South American coasts, climaxing in the capture of the Spanish
Silver Train.

The Spanish would call him El Drague, the Dragon, an English naval officer/privateer however viewed by Spain as criminal pirate.

Drake’s most famous exploit began in 1577, when he set sail to become the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. He plundered his way down South America’s eastern coast, pushed through the Straits of Magellan, then
raided Spanish towns up the Pacific coast, capturing galleons and nicking loads of stuff.

The Dragon was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I and hailed as a national hero.

The Spanish were by now really pissed off, and King Philip II responded by assembling the Spanish Armada, the largest fleet ever built. Drake, serving
as vice admiral of the English fleet, destroyed it by setting it on fire.

Drake eventually died in the Caribbean, but his legend refused to stay buried. He carried a drum on voyages which now is in Buckland Abbey.

Drake vowed that if England was in danger again and someone beat the drum, he would return.