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He began his adventures as a teenager -

Marco Polo was just 17 years old when he embarked on his great journey east. It was likely the first time the young man had left home.

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He barely knew his father and uncle when they began their expedition -

In 1271, he left home with his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo and set out for Asia. This was probably the first time he had met them, as they had been traveling the world since his birth.

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He wasn’t the first European merchant to explore China -

In fact, he wasn’t even the first Polo to visit China. Before Marco embarked on his journey to Asia, Niccolò and Maffeo Polo had already traveled to China and met with Kublai Khan.

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He traveled 15,000 miles over the course of 24 years -

After he left home at 17, Marco Polo didn’t return to Venice for 24 years. Imagine that!

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He traveled on land and sea -

Over the course of two decades, he traveled on land along the Silk Road, and by sea while traversing parts of Asia.

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He introduced the concept of paper currency to Europe -

The Mongol Empire was circulating paper money long before the Europeans. Polo described the strange currency in his book, describing Kublai Khan as an alchemist who could transform mulberry trees into money, instead of base metals into gold.

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Exotic animals -

Marco Polo encountered various animals on his journeys that were then unknown in Europe, such as the chow chow, the musk deer, and the yak.

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He was impressed by yak hair -

Of all the animals he encountered, the yak seemed to be Polo’s favorite. Amazed by the silky softness of their fur, he brought back yak hair to display in Venice.

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He described new and unusual foods, but pasta wasn’t one of them -

Contrary to popular belief, Polo didn't introduce pasta to Italy. Noodles were already big in Europe by that time. He did, however, find endless quantities of rare spices, such as ginger.

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He described an early milkshake -

And while he may not have brought ice cream to Europe either, Polo did describe an early form of the milkshake. The Mongols reportedly dried milk and then filled their flasks with the powder to take on their horseback travels. While riding, they added water to the milk, and the motion caused the mix to thicken.

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He mistook some of the animals he saw for mythical creatures -

In the 13th century, European folklore described unicorns as horned, horse-like species who could be captured only with the help of a young maiden. However, Polo's account of the animal debunked that superstition.

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He thought rhinoceroses were unicorns -

Polo described unicorns as ugly and dangerous, with feet like an elephant, the head of a wild boar, and a horn in the middle of their foreheads. Modern historians believe he was describing a rhino.

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He believed in sorcery and evil spirits -

In his book, Polo described that he met with magicians and sorcerers. For example, at the court of Kublai Khan, Polo met astrologers who allegedly could control the weather.

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He seemed a little superstitious -

Throughout his book, Polo repeated the myths and rumors he encountered as fact. He claimed that evil spirits haunt the Gobi Desert, torturing travelers with illusions, making them lose their way.

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He was one of the first Europeans to describe many of the advanced technologies found in China -

Marco Polo offered one of history's most detailed accounts of the Mongol post system, a complex network of checkpoints and couriers that allowed Kublai Khan to administer his empire.

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He claimed he was close friends with Kublai Khan -

In his book, Polo not only said that he traveled farther than almost any European, but he also befriended the emperor, becoming his right-hand man and advisor.

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He spent much of his journey as an envoy for the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan -

Marco, his father, and uncle were also employed as emissaries for the Mongol emperor. When Marco got older, Khan later dispatched him to China and Southeast Asia as a tax collector and special messenger.

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Kublai Khan didn't want him to leave -

When Marco Polo decided it was time to return home, Khan had grown so attached to the Venetian merchant that he denied his request.

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He was granted a golden tablet of safe conduct -

Polo finally convinced the Khan to let him go, in return for a last duty to accompany the Mongol princess Kököchin, who was to become the consort of Arghun Khan, in Persia. In order to ensure Polo was safe, the emperor gave him an inscribed gold plaque, which would help him obtain supplies on their journey and let everyone know he was under the emperor’s protection.

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It was a dangerous journey home -

Polo later wrote that the members of his company were among the only survivors of a deadly sea voyage, which claimed hundreds of lives. However, after leaving the princess, the Polos traveled overland to Constantinople before returning to Venice.

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The Polos lost much of their fortune while returning home -

Once they were out of Mongol territory, the Polos could no longer rely on Khan’s protection. As they passed through the kingdom of Trebizond, in modern-day Turkey, the local government robbed them of some 4,000 Byzantine gold coins.

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They were still wealthy -

Despite this significant loss, the Polos still had enough cargo to return home as wealthy men in 1295. One accounted revealed they concealed most of their gems by sewing precious stones into the linings of their coats.

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Polo’s route became largely impassable after his return to Venice -

Kublai Khan died during the Polos' return to Venice, sending the Mongol Empire into irrevocable decline. Tribal groups soon took over the once prosperous Silk Road, making the land route to China increasingly dangerous. Polo never returned.

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His famous travelogue was penned in prison -

In 1298, three years after he returned from his journey, Polo was captured after leading a Venetian galley into battle against the rival Italian city-state of Genoa. There, he befriended another prisoner, Rustichello of Pisa, who happened to be a writer. He began dictating his story to Rustichello, who produced the manuscript that would become 'The Travels of Marco Polo.'

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Final years -

Polo was released in 1299, and became a wealthy merchant. He also married and had three children. He died in 1324 and was buried in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice.

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He might have exaggerated his adventures a bit -

Marco Polo's stories seem incredible, and historians continue to debate exactly how true some of them actually were.

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Was it all made up? -

Some historians have even questioned whether Polo even made it to China, arguing he may have simply picked up stories from other merchants.

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A subspecies of wild sheep is named after him -

In 1841, zoologist Edward Blyth named a subspecies of Central Asian wild sheep Ovis ammon polii after Marco Polo. They're also known as the Marco Polo sheep.

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He inspired Christopher Columbus -

Marco Polo’s travels inspired plenty of explorers, including Christopher Columbus, who brought a copy of his book on his trips across the Atlantic Ocean.

Sources: (History) (Mental Floss)

See also: The history of traveling for pleasure

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