She also went on to direct and accomplish an outstanding feat even till this day. She leaded a defense against an invasion from an from a formidable foe the once “untouchable” Spanish Armada. Even with the Spanish Armada having an amazing reputation they were still brought down by the Queen, “In 1588, the Spanish Armada, a great fleet of around 130 ships, 8,000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers, set sail from Spain with the purpose of assisting an invasion of England to overthrow the Protestant queen Elizabeth I. On July 29, the English fleet badly damaged the (Quote provided by 10 Major Accomplishments of Queen Elizabeth I Article) “Invincible Armada” in the decisive Battle of Gravelines.” Also during her reign the progress of exploration of the Earth flourished. The push for exploration during this time was big as the Queen believed it could bring many profits for England and she was correct, ((Quote provided by 10 Major Accomplishments of Queen Elizabeth I Article) “...Sir Francis Drake is perhaps the most famous navigator of the period. He was authorized by Queen Elizabeth I to carry out expeditions to raid Spanish treasure ships in the New World. One such expedition led to Francis Drake becoming the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, for which he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.