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Voyage Compass

Who Reached America First? Hint: NOT Columbus!

Even today, many people still believe that Christopher Columbus was the person who “discovered” America when he landed there in 1492. That belief overlooks the fact that indigenous people had already...
The Classis Britannica was an important fleet in the Roman Navy. Source: RadoJavor/Deviant Art

Powerhouse of the Roman Navy: The Classis Britannica

The Roman Empire is perhaps best known for its legions, which were famous for their ability to overcome even their greatest defeats. However, while the legions of Rome were the all-conquering land...
Portuguese caravel of the 15th century. Credit: Michael Rosskothen / Adobe Stock

Epic Voyage of Vasco da Gama Connected Europe to the East

Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese sailor and explorer who lived between the 15th and 16th centuries. Not only is da Gama a significant figure in the history of Portugal and Europe, but he is also an...
Black Caesar was a pirate off the coast of Florida between the 17th and 18th centuries.

Black Caesar: The African Chief Who Was Captured by Slavers and Became a Pirate

Black Caesar was a notorious pirate who lived between the 17 th and 18 th centuries. Originally from West Africa , Black Caesar was captured and sold into slavery . The ship he was in, however, sank...
Carnac Stones, Brittany. Stone Age sailors may have spread this kind of megalithic monument building practice.

Extensive Study Claims Stone Age Sailors Spread the Concept of Megalithic Sites Like Stonehenge

There are many thousands of stone megaliths found in almost every country in Europe, from Scotland to Italy. The best known example of these stone constructions is Stonehenge. The reason that these...
‘Clytemnestra and Agamemnon’ (circa 1822) by Pierre-Narcisse Guérin. Nauplius told Clytemnestra that Agamemnon had replaced her with another woman, inciting her to kill her (wrongly accused) husband!

Nasty Nauplius: The Revenge-Seeking Sailor Who Ruined Trojan War Heroes’ Lives

The Trojan War cycle is replete with anecdotes of homewreckers and homecomings. Sure, everyone knows the sad stories of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and Odysseus and Penelope , but there are a few more...
An ancient Egyptian ship. Sailors sent out by Pharaoh Necho II saw some of the first hints that the world is not flat.

When Sailors from Ancient Egypt Discovered the World is Not Flat, No One Listened

The first ship to sail around Africa left from Egypt sometime around 600 BC. Their only goal was to find another way to the straits of Gibraltar. But by watching the sky overhead, they discovered...
Clockwise from top left - Koh Ker, Cambodia (thomaswanhoff/CC BY SA 2.0), Pyramid of Khafre, Egypt (MusikAnimal/CC BY SA 3.0), El Castillo, Chichén Itzá, Mexico (Grand Velas Riviera Maya/CC BY SA 2.0), Pyramid of Cestius, Italy (Nicholas Laughlin/CC BY NC SA 2.0) Center: Replica of a wind rose from the chart of Jorge de Aguiar, 1492. (Alvesgaspar/CC BY SA 3.0)

The Pyramids Route: Was Knowledge of the Pyramids Spread by Ancient Castaways?

Jose Salvador Alvarenga was fishing off the coast of Mexico in late 2012 when a powerful storm sent his boat adrift. Marshall Islanders found the battered vessel nearly 16 months later, stuck on a...
The fall of Casto Méndez Núñez in May 2nd, 1866

Born for the Seas and Honor: Examining the Modest Life of the Spanish Navy Officer, Casto Mendez Nunez

The history of Spain is full of great stories about the brave sailors and won sea battles. One of the important players in these tales comes in the form of Casto Mendez Nunez. Casto Mendez Nunez was...
Illustration of a range of 'sea monsters' in Carta Marina (Ocean Map)

Aspidochelone: A Giant Sea Monster of the Ancient World and an Allegorical Beast

In ancient Greece there was a large and dangerous sea monster called the aspidochelone , which could be translated as asp-turtle . The people who described it for centuries probably just saw a whale...