Marco Polo
Journalist and Explorer (1254-1324)
Early Life
Marco Polo was born in the year 1254 to a wealthy Venetian merchant family. Much of his childhood was spent parent less, he was raised by an extended family. Polo's mother died when he was young, and his father and uncle (successful jewel merchant) were in Asia for much of Polo's life.
Journey to China
In 1271, his father and uncle set out for Asia again, but this time they brought Marco with them. The journey took place on land, and they were sometime forced to cut through territory. Even though it was challenging, Marco was amazed.
But how do we know of Marco's travels?
Just a few years after his return to Venice, Marco commanded a ship in a war against the city of Genoa. He was captured and took to a Genoese prison, where he met a prisoner/writer named Rustichello. As the two men became friends, Marco told Rustichello about his time in Asia. His stories were written on paper and was later published as a book called, "The Travels of Marco Polo".