Once Upon a Time: The Explorers

Several inventions made possible the exploration of new lands: the sailing boat (in 6000 BC in Egypt), the wheel (in 3500 BC in Mesopotamia) and writing.

In 400 B.C. Alexander quickly becomes one of the most accomplished commanders in history.

The first Europeans to reach the American continent were not the Spaniards led by Christopher Columbus, but the Vikings; in 964 Erik the Red was banished from Norway and settled in Iceland; in 983, he left for the West.

His name is Temudjin, is a little nomad boy and one day he will become one of the greatest conquerors of all time: Genghis Khan.

In 1325, Ibn Battuta, a young Moroccan, leaves his hometown to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca; this journey became much greater than that and is now remembered as one of the greatest of all time.

At the end of the thirteenth century, the Venetian traveler Marco Polo was amazed to see, in China, huge 5-mast junks with sails of red silk and crews of 300 men; they were the earlier designs of what would become some of the biggest ships ever.