Timeline Description: Marco Polo was an explorer who traveled from Europe to China and back. He brought back information that had been unknown before his time, and he inspired others to explore as well. This timeline covers his life and travels.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1254 | Marco Polo Marco Polo was born in Venice. His father and uncle were very rich, and often traveled the world. |
| 1260 | Marco's mother dies Marco's mother died sometime in his childhood and he was raised by an aunt and uncle. They were wealthy and he learned many important things like foreign currency and appraising. |
| 1262 | Marco's father meets the ruler of China Marco's father and uncle traveled to China for the first time, where they met Kublai Khan, the ruler of China. |
| 1271 | Marco travels Marco Polo went with his father and uncle on his first journey to Cathay, or what is now called China. |
| 1274 | Marco arrives in China Marco's journey took three years, but he finally arrived in China. He met Kublai Khan, the ruler of China, and he studied the Chinese language and learned to speak it well. |
| 1275 | Marco Polo's first mission Kublai Khan sent Marco on a mission for him. Marco Polo traveled across China, and he did his mission so well that Kublai Khan decided Marco would work for him. |
| 1280 | Marco Polo works for Kublai Khan Marco Polo rose in favor with the ruler of China, and he even became the ruler of one of Kublai Khan's cities. |
| 1295 | Marco Polo returns home to Venice After celebrating Kublai Khan's daughter's wedding in Persia, Marco Polo and his family returned to Venice. They found it was at war with Genoa. |
| 1298 | Marco the Prisoner of War Marco joined the Venetian forces, but he was captured and became a prisoner of war. In prison he met a writer, and he told the writer about his travels; the writer wrote Marco's stories down. |
| 1299 | Free! Marco Polo was released from prison, but was still a prisoner of war. |
| 1300 | Marco gets married At the age of 46 Marco Polo got married and began having children. He had three daughters. |
| 1307 | Marco becomes famous When a book of his stories reached people around Europe, the fame of Marco Polo's travels spread quickly. People were fascinated with the world of the Chinese. |
| 1324 | Marco Polo dies Marco Polo died in Venice at the age of 74. His travels and explorations inspired other explorers like Christopher Columbus, and the tales he brought back from China got the people interested in other cultures. |
| 1453 | Marco's journey is copied More than a hundred years after Marco Polo's journey to China, other explorers traveled the same path. Their maps were based on those brought back from China by Marco Polo. |
| 1851 | Marco Polo's name is honored In 1851 Marco Polo had a ship named after him. It was the first ship to sail around the world in under 6 months. |