# Alexander Selkirk

> A Scottish sailor who demanded to be marooned on an empty island in 1704 — and survived alone for over four years. His story gave Daniel Defoe the bones for Robinson Crusoe.

*British sailor*

**Canonical URL:** https://fame.am/person/alexander-selkirk

## Identity
- **Profile type:** Historical Figure ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2798645))
- **Category:** Historical Figures
- **Country:** United Kingdom
- **Born:** 1676
- **Died:** 1721-12-13
- **Status:** deceased
- **Gender:** male

## Bio

Alexander Selkirk was born in 1676, an unruly Scottish youth who turned to privateering during the War of the Spanish Succession. Sailing under William Dampier's command aboard the Cinque Ports, captained by Thomas Stradling, Selkirk grew convinced the vessel was dangerously unseaworthy when they stopped at the uninhabited Juan Fernández Islands, west of South America. He asked to be left behind — and was. His instinct proved right: Cinque Ports sank near Malpelo Island months later. Selkirk spent four years and four months alone, learning to hunt and survive on what the island offered, until privateer Woodes Rogers picked him up in 1709. The castaway's tale spread quickly through England and became one of the reputed inspirations for Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. He died at sea in 1721, a Royal Navy officer by then.

## Fame
- **Popularity score:** 56.6 / 100
- **Momentum:** 1.1 / 100  (trend: STABLE)
- **Historical depth:** 22.8 / 100
- **Now attention:** 6.0 / 100
- **Source confidence:** 60.0 / 100
- **Profile completeness:** 70.0 / 100

## Topics
#Historical Figures, #Historical Figure, #Early Modern Era

## Sources
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223797)
- [Pantheon 2.0](https://pantheon.world/profile/person/Alexander%20Selkirk)
- [Aleksandr Selkirk](https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Selkirk)
- [Александър Селкирк](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%8A%D1%80_%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BA)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Αλεξάντερ Σέλκιρκ](https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%BE%CE%AC%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%81_%CE%A3%CE%AD%CE%BB%CE%BA%CE%B9%CF%81%CE%BA)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [الکساندر سلکرک](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%84%DA%A9%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%B1_%D8%B3%D9%84%DA%A9%D8%B1%DA%A9)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [אלכסנדר סלקירק](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%A1%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%A8_%D7%A1%D7%9C%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%A7)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [Alexander Selkirk](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk)
- [アレキサンダー・セルカーク](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AC%E3%82%AD%E3%82%B5%E3%83%B3%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%82%BB%E3%83%AB%E3%82%AB%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AF)
- [Александр Селькирк](https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80_%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BA)
- [ألكسندر سيلكيرك](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A3%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%B1_%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83)
- [الكسندر سيلكيرك](https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%B1_%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83)

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