Explorers & Discovery

Exploration is one of the most romanticised parts of history and one of the most complicated, since almost every voyage of discovery arrived somewhere already inhabited. This category covers the major expeditions across several traditions, European, Arab, Chinese and Polynesian, along with the polar and mountaineering feats of the modern era. The explanations give credit accurately, including to the crews and guides usually left out of the headline, and note where a famous claim needs qualifying. The aim is an honest account rather than a heroic one, without losing what was genuinely remarkable about the journeys.