Alexander Selkirk
(1676-1721)

Castaway and model for Robinson Crusoe

A high-spirited young man, Selkirk first ran away to sea in 1695, ultimately joining a privateer in 1703. But an unwise quarrel with the captain left him marooned on the uninhabited South Pacific island of Juan Fernandez. He had to survive on his own until, in 1709, he was rescued by a passing ship. Daniel Defoe based Robinson Crusoe on Selkirk’s adventures.