Rescue of Alexander Selkirk, the Real-Life Robinson Crusoe
The rescue of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor, is a fascinating narrative that parallels the story of the fictional character Robinson Crusoe. Born in 1676 in Largo, Scotland, Selkirk sought adventure at sea, eventually becoming the sailing master on the privateering ship Cinque Ports in 1703. Following a dispute with his captain, Selkirk chose to be left on a remote island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago in October 1704, where he survived alone for over four years, relying on his resourcefulness and the island's limited resources. His remarkable survival story captured the imagination of many upon his rescue by the Duke in February 1709. This account inspired Daniel Defoe to write his seminal novel, "The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe," published in 1719, which has since become a literary classic and part of popular culture. After briefly returning to his hometown, Selkirk resumed his maritime life, dying in 1721 while serving on the warship Weymouth. The enduring legacy of Selkirk's adventure continues to influence literature and storytelling.
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Rescue of Alexander Selkirk, the Real-Life Robinson Crusoe
Rescue of Alexander Selkirk, the Real-Life Robinson Crusoe
On January 31, 1709, Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk (also spelled Selcraig) was discovered on a remote Pacific island. His story inspired Daniel Defoe's famous character Robinson Crusoe.
Selkirk was born sometime in 1676 in Largo in the Fife region of Scotland. His father was a shoemaker, but Selkirk preferred a more adventurous life and ran away from home in 1695 in order to go to sea. In 1703 he became the sailing master on the galley Cinque Ports, one of a pair of vessels under the command of William Dampier on a privateering (legalized piracy against England's enemies) expedition. By the fall of 1704 the expedition was nearing the Juan Fernandez Islands, a remote chain of rocky volcanic islands in the South Pacific which today belongs to the nation of Chile. (Today the largest islands are named Robinson Crusoe and Alejandro Selkirk.) After a dispute with his captain, Selkirk asked to be dropped off on one of the islands. The captain agreed and set Selkirk ashore in October of 1704.
Selkirk lived alone, surviving by his wits off the meager resources of his new habitat for over four years. In February of 1709 he was discovered by another English privateering vessel, the Duke, commanded by one Woodes Rogers. The ship arrived in England in October of 1711, and Selkirk returned to Largo in 1712 after recounting his tale, which instantly gained widespread popular attention. He inspired an unsuccessful businessman and aging journalist named Daniel Defoe to write his first and most famous novel, The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719. Defoe's book has become a literary classic and the character Robinson Crusoe has become a staple of children's stories and the subject of several movies and other forms of popular entertainment. Defoe wrote several more books after Robinson Crusoe, including Captain Singleton and Memoirs of a Cavalier (1720) and The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders (1722). Moll Flanders became a classic of English literature as well, but Defoe is most remembered for Robinson Crusoe, the novel that made him and the adventures of Alexander Selkirk famous.
After a short stay in Largo, Selkirk returned to sea, where he died on December 12, 1721, while serving as master's mate on the English warship Weymouth.