Marco Polo was one of the most famous travelers in history, being the first man to record his travels throughout China and the eastern countries. His book about the topic, The Travels of Marco Polo greatly influenced other great travelers, such as Christopher Columbus, who had a copy of Marco’s book on his voyage to America.
Marco Polo was born in Venice, Italy, in 1254 A.D. His father and uncle had been away in china for 15 years since Marco was born, so he was 15 when he met his father. Marco’s father and uncle had met Kublai Khan and had been his gusts, so when they returned to Europe on a quest for him, they brought Marco back to China with them.
Marco recorded everything about his travels, not just where he went, but also what he saw and experienced, about the customs of the tribes he saw. He also wrote about his long stay in china and his position in the court of the Khan and all his trips as his ambassador.
Marco Polo influenced the famous sailor Christopher Columbus to sail the west Atlantic to reach India, however he instead discovered America, which was just as good (if not better) than locating a route to India.