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Historic Journeys on a World Map

By looking at the routes on the map, name the primary individual or leader known for each historic journey.
Numbered location icons mark the beginning of the journey
Routes are not exact or complete, and some may be speculative
The dotted line refers to a journey that continued after the death of the original leader
Click the map to zoom
Quiz by dug28
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Last updated: November 7, 2020
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First submittedNovember 2, 2020
Times taken32,405
Average score58.3%
Rating4.99
6:00
Individual or Leader
0
 / 12 guessed
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#
Dates
Journey Leader
1
1804-1806
Meriwether Lewis/ William Clark
2
1492-1493
Christopher Columbus
3
1927
Charles Lindbergh
4
1271-1295
Marco Polo
5
1519-1522
Ferdinand Magellan/ Juan Sebastian Elcano
6
334-323 B.C.
Alexander the Great
#
Dates
Journey Leader
7
218 B.C.
Hannibal Barca
8
1206-1227
Genghis Khan
9
1610-1611
Henry Hudson
10
1768-1771
James Cook
11
c. 1000
Leif Erikson
12
1841-1873
David Livingstone
+17
Level 37
Nov 2, 2020
11/12, missed #1. A great quiz, congratulations! Had to nominate yet again
+6
Level 82
Nov 2, 2020
oops, I better do it as Yev instead ^^'
+1
Level 84
Nov 2, 2020
Thanks! :)
+1
Level 51
Mar 12, 2021
Even Quizmaster's alt had to nominate this!
+9
Level 77
Nov 2, 2020
Very nice quiz dug! Nominated!
+3
Level 84
Nov 2, 2020
I appreciate it!
+8
Level 60
Nov 2, 2020
Astonishing quiz as always. But maybe u can colour the answer cells of the respective routes so that after we finish the quiz we can still understand who leads which route since I didn't get many. Once the quiz is finished, the missed SVG Paths don't show the number as before and I'm very bad remembering things. Though this is just a suggestion.

Nominated

+1
Level 76
Nov 3, 2020
agreed!
+4
Level 84
Nov 3, 2020
Thanks Swat. :) That’s what I wanted originally, but I had trouble with the execution. I think I figured out a different approach, though, so I’ll update it soon.
+6
Level 84
Nov 3, 2020
Fixed. :)
+4
Level 76
Nov 3, 2020
I also suggest putting the number at the end of the journey instead of the start, making sure the number stays visible after guessing, and sorting numbers so that 1 is the oldest and 12 the most recent. Great quiz!!
+1
Level 84
Nov 3, 2020
Thanks! Good thoughts. I plan to make a few more changes.
+5
Level 84
Nov 3, 2020
I always love new takes on geography quizzes, and this is a great one! Thanks!
+5
Level 95
Nov 3, 2020
There was a documentary on Netflix a while back about how Marco Polo's journey to the Far East may have been fictional. I thought they made a pretty convincing case. There really was a person named Marco Polo and he probably did travel to the east, but he most likely went no further east than current day Baghdad.

The only written record of his journey includes many fantastical embellishments that could not have been true (ie descriptions of animals that have never existed). There is also no confirming documentation of his presence in Asia from historical documents from that area of the world, which you think there would be considering some of the things he is supposed to have done while he was there.

+16
Level 74
Nov 9, 2020
There has been shade cast on Marco Polo at least since the 1700s, but most scholarship accepts that he did, in fact, spend time in China, even if he embellished his journals with some second-hand information. That no contemporary Chinese account describes his visit is curious but not definitive given that the Chinese historians sometimes failed to reference later travelers that certainly reached the kingdom after Polo, such as the papal envoy de Marignolli. Some people gripe that Polo failed to mention the Great Wall, ignoring the fact that much of the Wall as we know it was built under the Ming Dynasty, after Polo's visit, and many earlier sections would have been much less impressive or in great disrepair. So, Netflix aside, I'll stand by Marco Polo.
+4
Level 60
Nov 13, 2020
Also, wasn't he there during the Yuan dynasty, which means that later Chinese dynasties would probably not know him, or maybe wish to forget him?
+1
Level 66
Nov 25, 2020
I remember reading something very similar in a book. The bits that stuck with me were his highly inaccurate descriptions of Chinese cities, and how he did not own any items from China.
+4
Level 79
Nov 25, 2020
Don't believe everything that is on Netflix. They recently put a documentary about Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke and misattributed some things he didn't actually say about his first meeting with the British Royal family. It was debunked fairly quickly and Netflix has been taken to task about it by our National broadcaster.
+1
Level 84
Nov 30, 2020
The book of his journey was written by Marco Polo's cellmate when from when they were imprisoned.

I'm not surprised that the stories were embellished, they were to entertain his cellmate, not provide an historical record.

However his stories are more accurate than other Western records of the time, and include specific details of currency, salt production etc. that were not known in the West or the Middle East.

+1
Level 71
May 13, 2021
I actually kinda explain the deal behind Marco Polo on my Travels of Marco Polo quiz! @GreenFriday is right that the book was actually written by his cellmate, who may have embellished some details, but overall historical evidence mostly suggests he did travel to China.

Anyways, if you enjoyed this quiz and/or want to learn more about Marco Polo, I highly recommend checking out the quiz I linked above! Plus, I'm planning on doing a series of quizzes like it, so if you enjoyed it, please check regularly. :)

+4
Level 55
Nov 3, 2020
i ran out of nominations and decided to nominate this one today, but i can't...
+3
Level 76
Nov 3, 2020
Really nice quiz - although I had a vague idea about the routes it was great to have the map to show the exact directions.
+20
Level 69
Nov 3, 2020
Oh come on, where is Ibn Battuta? :)

Edit: maybe Vasco Da Gama should also be here as one of the famous travelers?

+14
Level 84
Nov 3, 2020
Yes, I left out some good ones. Both Battuta and Da Gama deserve to be here. I considered Darwin as well. Unfortunately, the map is already a bit of a mess, and as you add routes it becomes mass chaos! :)
+31
Level 76
Nov 5, 2020
Sequel! Sequel! Sequel!
+10
Level 71
Nov 25, 2020
I LOVED this quiz! This map is sooooo amazing. Some extra suggestions for future quizzes (in addition to the ones mentioned above): Zheng He and Amelia Earhart
+2
Level 75
Nov 25, 2020
You've got to make choices, and there's no claim that this is a top_x_ list, so any particular exclusions are fine. But I think Ibn Battuta must be most incredible traveller of all time.
+3
Level 47
Nov 30, 2020
Zheng He would be a contender too.
+5
Level 78
Nov 3, 2020
This is a really cool quiz, great work!
+4
Level 83
Nov 3, 2020
Cool quiz . always nice when something original appears.
+4
Level 84
Nov 3, 2020
Fantastic!
+3
Level 69
Nov 3, 2020
Great Quiz! High on originality and fun to play too!
+3
Level 82
Nov 4, 2020
If I had a penny for everytime I spelled Magellan 'magdellan'...
+6
Level 60
Nov 13, 2020
Ah, yes, Jesus's friend, Mary Magdellan.
+11
Level 80
Nov 4, 2020
Good idea. There's scope for at least one more of these - Vespucci, Drake, Raleigh, Pizarro, Vasco da Gama, Darwin, Rhodes...
+1
Level 85
Mar 12, 2021
De Vaca would be cool too, but it might be a bit obscure. Could also do Churchill's escape during the Boer War
+3
Level 82
Nov 4, 2020
Fun quiz.
+3
Level 84
Nov 4, 2020
Wow, excellent quiz.
+3
Level 72
Nov 4, 2020
How fun!
+5
Level 77
Nov 4, 2020
This might be the best and most creative quiz that i've taken on this site to date. And i've taken a LOT of quizzes.
+1
Level 84
Nov 5, 2020
Thanks! Very kind of you to say.
+8
Level 78
Nov 4, 2020
Judging by the route he took Livingstone must have been drunk most of the time !
+3
Level 84
Nov 5, 2020
Fantastic! I love this.
+1
Level 82
Nov 5, 2020
Could you update this to include the start/end locations along with the dates? It's a little unclear (especially in Europe since its small and there's many lines) where the person is starting their quest. Plus it's fun information to learn :-)
+4
Level 84
Nov 7, 2020
I agree that Europe is crowded, but I think clicking to zoom helps clarify each starting point. Thanks for taking the quiz!
+3
Level 85
Nov 5, 2020
Really fun quiz and the map makes it better than the one I made, Famous Explorers and the Places They Explored.
+1
Level 72
Nov 5, 2020
Not to overly quibble, but the entry box says "Enter city here".
+1
Level 84
Nov 7, 2020
Wow- good catch! I hadn't noticed that.
+3
Level 73
Nov 5, 2020
Really fun!
+7
Level 78
Nov 6, 2020
Nice quiz dug - I missed 2 obvious ones. Here's a suggestion, maybe accept Sacagawea for Lewis and Clark. Then, delete this comment.
+2
Level 60
Nov 13, 2020
Dang it, I couldn't remember his name. I knew it started with an L, and he completed the flight solo.
+5
Level 55
Nov 16, 2020
No Ibn Battuta?
+3
Level 56
Nov 25, 2020
Where's Vasco da Gama?
+6
Level 76
Feb 25, 2021
I believe he's in the Jerónimos Monastery in Portugal.
+1
Level 46
Nov 25, 2020
The great Australian explorers after Cook appear to only be familiar to Australians - Matthew Flinders, Hume & Hovell, Pawel Strzelecki, John Macdouall Stuart
+1
Level 79
Nov 25, 2020
Burke and Wills?
+2
Level 73
Nov 25, 2020
Cool quiz! Please make a sequel with Battuta, DaGama, Dias, Francis Drake, and more!
+2
Level 60
Nov 25, 2020
Very cool quiz!
+1
Level 65
Nov 25, 2020
Very nice quiz! Looking forward for a 2nd version.
+2
Level 75
Nov 25, 2020
First time I'm giving five stars after a while. Amazing quiz, would love more journeys or a sequel to not risk further map "congestion"
+1
Level 84
Dec 6, 2020
Thanks. :)
+2
Level 90
Nov 25, 2020
Excellent work. Thank you
+2
Level 58
Nov 25, 2020
Excellent quiz! It would be great if there could be a part 2!
+2
Level 58
Nov 25, 2020
One of the best geography/history quizzes of Jetpunk. Well done!
+1
Level 84
Dec 6, 2020
Thanks! Very kind of you to say.
+2
Level 51
Nov 25, 2020
cool quiz
+2
Level 57
Nov 25, 2020
Really cool quiz, forgot about planes for some reason
+3
Level 52
Nov 25, 2020
I had no idea who flew the Spirit of St. Louis. Needless to say, I failed #3.
+2
Level 47
Nov 25, 2020
Thank you! What an incredible quiz.
+7
Level 77
Nov 25, 2020
I think it'd be cool to add Mansa Musa's journey. Africa is pretty empty and it'd be nice to see another non-European journeyman on here. I don't know how hard it is to add the path on the map, but I think his path is pretty established by the academic community.
+2
Level 64
Nov 25, 2020
I was really stuck on #3 until I noticed the dates are given. Then I noticed it was west to east.
+2
Level 66
Nov 25, 2020
I was stuck on 3 because I always forget how to spell his last name.
+2
Level 64
Nov 25, 2020
I only managed to guess 9 because I know Hudson bay.
+2
Level 77
Nov 25, 2020
Great quiz. Would love a sequel
+2
Level 60
Nov 25, 2020
Great idea! Thanks.
+2
Level 70
Nov 26, 2020
Great quiz! Got stuck on a few routes, though...
+4
Level 37
Nov 26, 2020
I miss Battuta, Drake, Barentz, Tasman, de Houtman, van Heemskerck, Amundsen, Rasmussen
+2
Level 70
Nov 26, 2020
Mao's Long March and Gandhi's Salt March would be other good ones.
+1
Level 60
Nov 29, 2020
I had punched in Drake, but wouldn't the map get kinda crowded and illegible. There is however good space for Barentz and Amundsen. I seconded Battuta (see below).
+2
Level 68
Nov 26, 2020
Great quiz! would love to see more like this
+1
Level 67
Nov 26, 2020
I missed Lindbergh. Tried multiple spellings. Trouble was I always thought he was Lindenbergh
+2
Level 70
Nov 26, 2020
Awesome quiz!
+2
Level 77
Nov 27, 2020
I agree. We need more on the history of exploration.
+2
Level 63
Nov 28, 2020
I missed Lucky Lindy, but that was the most frequent miss, so it won't completely ruin my day.
+2
Level 60
Nov 29, 2020
My favorite voyageur is not on the list and deserves to be. Ibn Battuta left his native Fez around 1325 and didn't return until 1358 or sometime; he travelled the entire Muslim world. First, of course, Mecca, but then he fell in with other pilgrims and visited Kurdistan, the court of the King of Uzbek, where he follows the entourage of the King's youngest wife home to Constantinople ( he meets the abdicated ex-emperor in the palace gardens.) He serves as a judge for the Sultan of Delhi, up until the rebellion, wins great riches and then loses everything. He works in the Maldives, and ultimately makes his way to the court in China before winding his way home to Morocco. Once there, he is ordered to dictate his story to a scribe. He later takes a supplementary voyage southward to Timbuktu and the height of the West African civilizations, but doesn't find it as impressive as his previous journey. Get hold of his book, and put him into the quiz.

(ahem, I of course scored a 5 )

+1
Level 84
Dec 6, 2020
Thanks! I had not heard of Ibn Battuta before this quiz. Definitely a fascinating guy!
+2
Level 38
Nov 29, 2020
You should add Mansa Musa in the next version!
+1
Level 60
Feb 3, 2021
Great quiz! I'd like to add my voice to the chorus of sequel-wishers, and add Zheng He to the list of people I'd love to see included
+3
Level 78
Feb 25, 2021
No. 12 I just presumed.
+1
Level 48
Jun 17, 2021
really no Jacques Cartier?
+1
Level 60
Jul 5, 2021
I would recommend having Amelia Earhart, though i suppose no one knows where it ended
+1
Level 76
Aug 22, 2021
Surely Hannibal started his journey from Carthage/Tunisia, not Spain?
+1
Level 88
Oct 4, 2021
Surprised De Gama and Vespucci weren't on here. Could also add Richard Burton
+2
Level 39
Mar 1, 2022
what about ibn battuta? he traveled from morroco to arabia, up through russia, then to india, indonesia, and china, and back to morroco before going south to mali
+1
Level 67
Nov 17, 2023
Could we get a Part 2? Great quiz and I feel there are plenty of journeys still to be asked
+1
Level 52
Mar 18, 2024
Great quiz!

Two suggestions:

- add some more non-Western travelers like Ibn Battuta, Hotu Matua, Mansa Musa to make it more challenging. Maybe Napoleon too? He went to Egypt, Moscow, St. Helena.

- add a yellow box for each entry so that we can't just type in random explorer names like Magellan and Columbus. You've included dates, so it's easy enough.