Who was the first around the world?
Sailing, driving, flying, walking, cycling, swimming? Every year, the race is on to be the first or the fastest around the world
A sheep, a duck and a rooster were the first passengers in a hot air balloon. More than 200 years later, the quest to become the first to circumnavigate earth in a hot air balloon grabbed the attention of the world.
The Age of Discovery was led by the the great sea adventurers in their search for a route to spice markets of the Far East. They started the race to be first to circumnavigate earth.
In 1924, four Douglas World Cruisers and eight American crewmen set out from Seattle to attempt the first around-the-world flight. 175 days later three of the aircraft completed the flight. Nine years later, another American did it in only 7 days!
Farfetched it may seem, but when Benoit Lecomte swam across the Atlantic in 1998,he introduced a new global sport challenge: the first to swim around the world.
From around the web
Dave Kunst was the first man to walk around the world. Starting in Waseca, Minnesota on 20 June 1970, he completed the journey in 4 years, 3 months and 16 days. He wore out 21 pairs of shoes in more than 20 million steps to cover 23,250 km (14,450 miles). He is know as the Earthwalker
No less remarkable was an earlier walking journey by P.L. Wingo: in April 1931 Wingo left California to arrive in Istanbul 19 months later – he walked all the way backwards!
Thomas Stevens was the first person to cycle around the world, between 1884 and 1886.
Arthur Blessitt walked around the walked carrying a 12-foot cross. And he didn’t stop there.
The first human powered circumnavigation of the earth
The Amazing Race : CBS reality show of couples racing around the world.
Around the world in an old Mercedes-Benz
The first known commercial around-the-world passenger may be Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Carreri. Between 1693-98 the Italian sailed to Mexico, crossed by land to the Pacific, then returned to Italy on other ships via Asia.
Around alone in a small open boat : Anthony Steward’s incredible journey on a small open boat around the world.
Mark Beaumont cycles around the world
World Sailing Speed Record Council
Explorers Web – the pioneers checkpoint.