Traveling is basically the movement of people from one place to another. People cover geographical distances because of multiple motives. Actually, you can travel for multiple purposes and they vary but the main purpose is always to get what you do not have. In this large world, all the resources and facilities are not evenly distributed. To get the things you cannot avail from your locality, you have to cover long distances. We all have done traveling in our lives for the motives of recreation or pursuing some specific tasks. You can also take small stays when you are traveling because while traveling you come across tiredness and fatigue. Some people really enjoy traveling and consider it their hobby. Exploring new places and experiences tastes of different locations seems really interesting to them and it is really a healthy activity. It not only provides you exposure but also gives insight into different cultures present in the world.
People travel through different means and these means depend on what amount of distance you are going to cover. For small distances and routine traveling vehicles like bicycle, bikes, scooters, and cars are used. However, for long distances, you can travel on buses, cars, boat, train, and airplane depending on your ease and comfort. Traveling holds different purposes in different cultures. No matter how we see it, it will always bring joy to you and provide you with a sense of excitement. In his article, we will study some of the important facts about traveling as well as some great travelers in the history.
Some of the famous historic travelers
There are many people in the history that adopted traveling more than just as a hobby and left their mark on the world by becoming extraordinary examples in the world of traveling. Now, you may not do so because of multiple responsibilities you have or because you have a social life to keep pace with. But, you must know what amazing contributions they have made to the history. There are many expeditions which are arranged every year and you can make a much better decision after knowing about what were the preferences of these people in the history. Here are some of eh greatest travelers who are known for their contribution.
- Christopher Columbus
- Lewis and Clark
- Sylvia Earle
- John Cabot
- Fridtjof Nansen
- Will Steger
- Dwight Collins
- XuanZang
- Ernest Shackleton
- Marco Polo
- Ibn E Battuta
1 – Christopher Columbus
You must have heard his name in the books of history during your academic qualification. Yes! He is the legendary Columbus who is known to be the first explorer who traveled in Atlantic for searching Asia. He landed on a place and thought that it is India. In return, he also got an epidemic from the natives. That disease was known as Syphilis. In return, the natives suffered from Typhoid, yellow fever, and measles. You can’t comprehend who was at a benefit in this exchange of diseases. He ended up in America and fell short there. He is really famous in the history because he paved the way for the European explorers.
Voyages covered by Christopher Columbus
There were almost 4 round trips of Christopher Columbus around the America and Spain from the year 1492 to 1503. The main explorations that were available in these voyages were American Continents, Colonization, European Exploration as well as the focus was on Western Historical aspect. On the first voyage, he departed in 1492 on the combination of 3 ships. In his journey, first, he sailed on the Area of the Canary Islands which was under the reign of Castile. Then he covered 6 weeks long voyage along the ocean. At that place, he spotted the land which was a dry spot and then he made everyone know about that place. He was the first person to have a sight of that land which gave him a huge advantage and he was rewarded with a lifelong pension program. His findings of these new lands which were discovered during the first voyage were so famous in the area that they became known by everyone in Europe.
In the second voyage, he left the area of Cadiz in 1493. The whole expedition consisted of 1,200 people and they were equipped with the supplies to settle down to any new area. They were headed to make the new colonies in another world. All kinds of people were part of this program, they succeeded in their mission and then after settling the colonies in the new area, they moved to spread the noble cause of preaching Christianity to the residents. There were many people present over there that entered that area even before the trade of slaves started there. Just like these the other two voyages also consist of many great achievements done by him.
Legacy left behind
The fame to Christopher is given and he is famous by the name of the man who discovered America. The fame which is given to him is no because of the reason that he was the first man to enter the territory, however, the significant point is that he stayed at that place. In many books, it is stated that he knew about the new contribution he has done, in some literature it is also stated that he repeatedly claimed that the region found by him was Asia. The main quest and search performed by him were of Asia. Basically, he was a discoverer who passed a great portion of his life in order to discover new places.
Columbus had a strong belief that the earth is flat. He contradicted to the scholars and researchers who claimed from a long time ago that the earth is in the spherical shape. The oldest globe of the earth which is discovered show there were no signs of the state of America, which means people at that time also believed on the spherical shape of the earth even before the discovery of America.
America is the main legacy which is left behind Columbus, even after his death the place was published in some places with the name of Americus. The colonization concept which was supported by him is not so much appreciated by the people of that time. Most people left the area because of the overburden of work. The wars, slavery, and mining started in those areas. Many people also perished because of all these problems.
2 – Lewis and Clark
To pass the Northwest area of the United States of America, he led an expedition of fifty people for trade purposes. They left in the early eighteenth century and didn’t return for 2 years. They are also famous because they were the first American people who visited River of Colombia. They suffered from many hardships. They also suffered from various diseases and survived through those circumstances. There were intense conditions of weather which put hurdles in their way. They are known to be the people who have done great adventures and conducted research in the field of science.
The whole journey
The Lewis and Clark journey is really important in the history because of the importance it holds in the field of science and development. Their expedition basically consists of three steps. First one is the Departure. In this step, they started their journey in 1804. The main destination of their voyage was the pacific coast. They built new relationships with the Indians and went throw the winter harvest and its problems. Then in 1805, they saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time. They camped on the side of the river of Columbia and suffered from the second winter camp problem. Then at the end, after seeing the favorable weather conditions, they started the back journey in 1806.
Study during the voyage
They went through many experiences during the voyage. Many Native American and Indian tribes were encountered and they recorded a lot of information about the way of living, their social life as well as the customs followed by them. They also observed many bitter aspects of the society back then. Many daughters were sold by their fathers at the young age to grow up men. Many wars of Indian tribes were also observed by them during the period of the voyage.
3 – Sylvia Earle
When we talk about traveling, it is not only done on the surface of the land but can also be done in the water or even inside the water level. Sylvia Earle is also among one of those people who is known to be really a great traveler because she traveled long distances in water. She holds a record of remaining underwater for 7000 hours. She performed a solo dive of 380 meters under water which is the longest dive ever. She is serving as a great consultant for the organizations who make submarines. Still, at the age of 76, she is serving on the basis of her wide experience of ocean research.
Titles are given to her
Because of the amazing work was done by her, she is given multiple titles by different magazines and media agents. Liven legend, a hero for the planet and her deepness is the famous titles given by the New York Times, Library of Congress and Time magazine. These titles present the pride and appreciation the nation feel towards her and about how people regard the work she has performed.
Output of the work
The basic experience gained by her was in the field of research. She was associated with many corporation and NGOs. Many marine laboratories had an association with her and she performed as the scientist as well as the government official in the region of marine sciences. There are more than eighty countries who have gained benefit from her vast experiences by getting lectures.
4 – John Cabot
One of the oldest explorers who discovered North America is John Cabot. His travel is marked in the world during the reign of Henry VII. In Italy, people remember him with his original name Giovanni Cabot. While in French, they call it Jean Cabot. There are multiple non-Italian versions of this name. He was a traveler from Era of the mid-1400s.
He started his early life in a religious institution. He belonged to a place where people were eligible to perform sea trade activities. The Venice’s position has always been attractive for the travelers of history. He also visited Mecca. The Venetian records of 1480’s have his name several times. He wanted to be a civil engineer in Spain but due to financial issues, he left the city in 1480’s. However, after 1490’s he also started constructing a stone bridge on Guadalquivir River. Then he moved to London for some monetary support. He landed in England in mid-1495.
Expeditions carried out by him
There were basically three types of voyages carried out by him. In all his expeditions he also visited Bristol which is the port of England and known as the second largest one. There are some of the text briefs which show about the first voyage of John Cabot but his second voyage is more famous among the people in travel history. In 1496 March he made his first voyage.
In his second voyage which is really famous in the old texts, it was carried out in 1497. There are some of the letters in the history which conclude that his second journey was in the city of Bristol. The letter which shows the proofs of the expedition is known to be as “John Day Letter”. The merchants used to write these letters with the name in the title and most likely this letter was addressed to Christopher Columbus. This second voyage was really long and also included London in its way.
In his final voyage, after coming back from Bristol, he headed towards the London city to make a reporting to the king. This is the incident of 1497. For this, he was rewarded by the king with the amount of currency 10 of that time. That amount was equal to the pay of a normal craftsman or laborer for two years. In the beginning of 1498, it is reported that he visited the area of Great Chronicle of London. This voyage was on 5 ships. Among all these, some were containing the material of journeys like clothing, merchandise, and caps etc. one ship among these was caught in the storm due to which it landed in Ireland.
Death
The reason of his death is not so much clear from the past. In 1508 his son made a one-year expedition in which he was also the part. It is concluded that maybe he suffered from death during the journey or shortly after that.
5 – Fridtjof Nansen
He was an excellent traveler, scientist, explorer, humanitarian and also the Nobel Prize Winner. From the very beginning of his career, he was well known for his skiing and ice skating expertise. This talent led him to make the first expedition in the year of 1888, to the place of Greenland interior. The northern latitude which was reached by him made him world famous in many areas. He went to the highest point of 86 degree and 16 inches. The polar-traveling is the area of his expertise and he also introduced many new and innovative ideas of making polar trips. After covering this expedition, he was retired from his service.
Techniques for expeditions
This is the main reason for his fame and recognition were given to him. On the international level, he is recognized just because of his distinctive ways of leading these expeditions. He had an entirely different way of clothing as well which make him the leading example for the people in the Antarctic region leading towards the expeditions. The equipment used by him make the work really interesting and he had a grip on the innovative tricks of passing through these voyages.
Rescue after the expedition
In his journey, they were attacked by the Walrus. He mistook them as the dogs and when he went looking for them, he saw a man approaching in his way and that was also the part of an expedition. There was the attack of walrus at that time which became the reason of the acquaintance of both these parties. The other party was led by Fredrick Jackson who is also a great explorer.
Last days and Nobel Prize
In the last few years of his life, Fridtjof Nansen, he performed a lot of work in League of Nations and he was appointed as the high commissioner of the refugees. Due to his these extraordinary efforts, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the year of 1922. These efforts were performed in helping out the refugees of world war. He is not the hero of only one nation, but his efforts are regarded by multiple nations. In many of the geographical areas especially the area in Polar region commemorates his work.
6 – Will Steger
He is a famous traveler who had experienced multiple expeditions across the south and north poles. The main contribution he performed in the history was related to climate crises worldwide. In his first trip, he moved to the North Pole, leading one woman and seven men. The important thing to consider here that there were no resupplies available to them and they survived through that time. She also covered 220 days travel to Antarctica. In the journey, skis and sled dogs were used so that they can complete the path easily.
Polar environmental issues
He is an official speaker on the preservation as well as understanding on the Arctic region. The formation of Global Environment Education is the institution which was formed under his supervision. He has done a lot of work in the field of protecting those regions. He has a great concern for the changes in climate and their effect on human life.
Will Steger organization
With the help of many other communities and organizations, he developed the Will Steger organization. That organization worked for the welfare of people and many issues were addressed with the help of work done in the field of protecting the environment against climate changes. People get education and training from the organization and then do practical efforts to protect the environment. There is also a Steger Wilderness Centre developed in 2014. The concepts which are largely prevailing these days about protecting the resources and environment from the harmful effects for the future generation were emphasized by him.
Accomplishments and awards
In terms of degrees, he has a bachelor in the field of geology. His master was in arts of education. The doctorate degree was also achieved by him by different universities. His explorations are awarded widely to set the record for coming generation. The work performed by him as well as the contribution to national and geographical explorations. National Geographic society also awarded him with many awards. Explorer-in-residence is also an award presented to him in 1996. His main contribution is in the area of Arctic region and he has also published some really great books t preserve his experiences and knowledge forever.
7 – Dwight Collins
His contribution in the history of traveling is enormous. An entirely new idea was introduced by him and that was successfully completed. He spent 40 days in a 24-foot boat of a tube shape. The weight of that tube was 850 pounds. That was used to cross the Atlantic Ocean. When you travel in these areas you come across many hurdles, not only physical but also mental. Due to stress and lonely, you may have depression, boredom, and physical hurdles include long sharks. At the completion of his journey, he tossed a bottle of champagne and wrote a note on it which was for the person finding it and wished him the courage to pursue whatever he wants in his life.
Sea life expedition
Because of passing a great amount of time in the boat he knows a lot of facts about the ocean life and the creatures found in there. His contribution to the literature also shows the signs about his vast and adventurous experience. Because of being so dry journey, the whole map is not developed. But, his contributions have left a lot of things for the people and explorers left behind. Many key facts about the Atlantic Ocean were revealed.
The great thing about his journey is that he completed so many days in the sea without any additional support and help. The note left on the bottle of champagne tossed by him also gives great courage and support to carry out the work in anyone’s life compassion.
8 – XuanZang
He is an excellent example for people who travel for the religious purposes. He was basically a monk who carried out his journey in order to find the origin of Buddhism. The areas covered in his journey included Afghanistan, China, and India. The interesting thing about him is that not only he passed through all these places but also wrote about his whole journey. This thing makes him the first ever travel writer of the world. In the period of early Tang Dynasty and during that time the interaction of India and China is well documented in his writings. He faced many hardships and almost died of hunger during the journey.
His whole journey
The journey traveled by him consists of the pilgrimage, India visit and then return to China. The journey which was completed by him is really amazing and he has described that in the form of a book. That literature is regarded as the important source for studying the medieval areas of India and Asia. After going through so many experiences he returned to China back in 645 AD. The emperor wanted to meet him but he refused the appointments. Then a lot of work was performed by him in the field of consciousness and other Buddhist techniques. There was a great influence of Chinese Buddhism in his life and teachings because of the fact that he was a monk.
Relic and artifacts
In 1956, his skill relic is found in the temple of great compassion. Some of the movements also took place after that. The Patna museum contained a relic for multiple years and at the end, it was found in the memorial hall of Nalanda in the year 2007.
9 – Ernest Shackleton
He is famous for his Antarctica exploration. In 1914 he went on a voyage where his ship got stuck in the ice and there was no way out for 10 months. At the end, the ship was abandoned by the crew members because it was crushed. Two open boat voyages were made by him after the camping of five months. One of those voyages is known to be the most amazing ways in the history. At the end, he went to a station, arranged a rescue operation and saved many people who were left behind.
Polar exploration
Passing through the polar region and that too three times is a big task to do. It requires a lot of courage. There were a time when he got stuck there and then came again to the rescue of his companions, this all show the passion and greatness in him.
At first, he was selected to leave for the expedition to Antarctica. The ship at that time in 1901 presented to him was “Discovery” which is really famous and historic one. His third trip was made in the “Endurance”. These ships have huge historical importance. There is also a foundation in his name by the title of “The Shackleton Foundation”. His life is filled with innumerable adventurous stories although his own dream was not achieved.
10 – Marco Polo
You must have heard about this legendary traveler of history. He was a Venetian. He adopted traveling from very early years of his life and at the age of 17 he set out to explore Asia with his Uncle and Father. That journey was so long that it continued for 42 years and after covering that long distance of 15,000 Miles they finally came back.
He is specifically an inspiration for the travelers and has amazing and interesting insights about many old empires. You can get the knowledge about Silk Road, Kublai Khan’s empire, China as well as the Far East.
His father and uncle taught him the mercantile trade. They used to travel from Asia and met many great leaders. The trade from one area to another is the reason for his great travel stories. It was 1269 when his father and uncle came back from Venice to meet him. Marco also got in prison but his traveling nature could not stop hum from writing stories. After his release in 1299, he got married and gave birth to three children. He was the person from Europe who traveled to china.
Personality Traits of Marco Polo
He was a businessman and economist by nature. That is the reason that his port in Venice and surrounding areas were always in prosperity. Due to his fast growing business, many historians think that he claims extraordinary but in reality, he has not traveled much. But his top rated travel diaries and books claim that he has spent time in traveling and learned a lot in the world.
Marco Polo was promoted to different ranks in his whole career. The reason was his determined personality. He knew how to lead as an official for an expedition or travel. His inspiration with Mongol Empire also helped in learning the concept of paper money.
He was not only a kind-hearted person but also had a knowledge of military leadership. It aided a lot in writing his traveling experience in a perfect manner. Handling of cargo ships and management of foreign currency was his competencies since the beginning. He was a wise man who distributed his assets to religious institutions also.
Traveling by Marco Polo
In spite of the great work done by him and wide experience performed, there is no comprehensive version of the work done by him. Although there are some manuscripts but hey differ a lot which questions their authenticity. There I so much printed media present on his work that it is said that almost 150 manuscripts are present on the work was done by him and all of them are in different languages. This is all because of his efforts. To bring into notice, the fact is that he was not the first person to discover China, but that region has been well described by his detailed descriptions. He has also put in a lot of effort in doing the Asian Travel. His expeditions and traveling stories are really famous in the history.
Legacy of Marco Polo
The descriptions provided by him about the region of China and other places are really famous. Christopher Columbus was really inspired by his work and writings that he himself wanted to visit those areas. Some of his books are also handwritten and were present in his personal belongings.
Cartography
Cartography is another development done by his work. Many of the maps in the European region were influenced by his way of developing them. He made really illustrated and finely designed maps of the world. There is a fact that he never drew the map of his own journey but the developed maps were about the whole and comprehensive descriptions of areas of the world. His multiple collections which were left behind were signed by his three daughters. The areas which were covered in those maps included Coastlines of Alaska, Kamchatka, Japan, Bering Strait and Peninsula etc. along with the cartography, there are many media, arts and entertainment work done about his contributions. There are also some of the games which are named after him due to his huge contribution in the field of traveling.
These were some of the travelers who are really famous in the history. They just traveled through the world; however, there are many other great people in the history who have covered long and an extraordinary level of journeys. One of them is Neil Armstrong who was the first man to visit Moon. He was a man full of determination. You get so much motivation from him about getting something you really want.
11 – Ibn E Battuta
Along with these Ibn, E Battuta was a really famous traveler. He was basically born on 24th of February in 1304. According to his time, he was a great traveler with such little resources. He worked as a religious judge in the town from where he belonged. He gained knowledge in the field of law and then he decided to travel the world. Traveling is for someone who has a passion for it. If you do not do it for the fun of it, it will be totally worthless.
Early career of Ibn E Battuta in traveling
At the age of twenty-one, he set off on a journey from his hometown towards Mecca. Because he belonged to a religious family so the sole purpose was to perform Hajj. The total journey from his home to Mecca consisted of 4 months and it was not for the next 24 years that he returned his home. There were no security measures in those days and means were also not so advanced to let you travel easily, so he used to join the Caravans so that he will remain safe.
After that time, he properly initiated his thirst for adventure and traveling by setting on different expeditions. He decided to explore the places in the Middle East. After doing so, he again went to Mecca through the Red Sea. In the year 1332, he decided to go to India. He safely reached the place where Sultan of Delhi was ready to present him a warm welcome. In India, he has presented the Job of Judge which he accepted. He stayed in India for the next eight years. After India, he set out to China. Later on, he continued his voyage by visiting South, Sahara Desert, and the African Kingdom of Mali. After the completion of all these adventurous journeys, he came back to his hometown in 1355.
Facts related to Ibn E Battuta
After coming back to his home, people were really surprised to know that he has actually visited so many places. They believed that he was telling the truth because all the details were exactly like the original ones. You can say that he was one of the earliest Muslim travelers who has gone through so many large distances.
Although his life was filled with adventures, he faced many hardships in achieving all this. He experienced many cultural shocks and accepting the cultures of different people was not so easy for him. As he belonged to a Muslim background, it was really shocking for him to see the freedom of women in the outside world. The dresses, beliefs, customs and behaviors of other people were entirely different from the ones he has seen before.
Death of Ibn E Battuta
When he came back to his hometown, he was appointed as a judge in the city of Morocco. 13 years after his return, he died. He was no doubt a legendary traveler and has witnessed many great things that were not seen by most people. Not only he is known by many people but there are many new things introduced today on his name. His legacy is really endless and his name will be remembered till the end of the world. In Dubai, there is also a mall after his name.
These were some of the great travelers in old times. They stepped out of the comfort zone and chose the life of living away from their home. In not for them, we would not be aware of the great places we have now in our surrounding. They were the beginners that were driven by the human instinct of curiosity and adventure. This whole adventure led them to discover the amazing places in multiple areas. They not only gained benefit from this but also opened new ways for the people coming after them.
