#41: The First Woman to Circumnavigate the World
Circumnavigation is no easy feat, especially when it was done back in the 18th century. Jeanne Baret became the first woman on record to officially circumnavigate the globe in 1766-1769. The thing is, no one knew she was a woman when she accomplished this incredible feat. Jeanne Baret disguised herself as a man named “Jean Baret” to join Louis Antoine de Bougainville’s ship expedition.
Baret was a botanist and joined the expedition as a valet who helped out with various research tasks. French law barred women from riding on naval ships at the time, so Baret took matters into her own hands. Although her fellow shipmates had their suspicions, Baret usually diffused rumors by claiming she was a eunuch. It wasn’t until the crew landed in Tahiti that anyone recognized her as a woman. Thankfully, Baret was in such good standing with the expedition that she didn’t get in too much trouble.