by 
On this Day:
On April 28, 1947 Thor Heyerdahl and the crew of the “Kon-Tiki” sail from Peru to Polynesia.
Thor Heyerdahl (6 October 1914 – 18 April 2002) was a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in zoology, botany and geography.
Heyerdahl is notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km (5,000 mi) across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands. The expedition was designed to demonstrate that ancient people could have made long sea voyages, creating contacts between societies. This was linked to a diffusionist model of cultural development.
Heyerdahl made other voyages to demonstrate the possibility of contact between widely separated ancient peoples, notably the Ra II expedition of 1970, when he sailed from the west coast of Africa to Barbados in a papyrus reed boat. He was appointed a government scholar in 1984.
He died on 18 April 2002 in Colla Micheri, Liguria, Italy, while visiting close family members. The Norwegian government gave him a state funeral in Oslo Cathedral on 26 April 2002.
In May 2011, the Thor Heyerdahl Archives were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. At the time, this list included 238 collections from all over the world.The Heyerdahl Archives span the years 1937 to 2002 and include his photographic collection, diaries, private letters, expedition plans, articles, newspaper clippings, and original book and article manuscripts. The Heyerdahl Archives are administered by the Kon-Tiki Museum and the National Library of Norway in Oslo (per Wikipedia).
First, a Story:
I’d tell you my Thor Heyerdahl sailing joke…
…but I am afraid it’s a bit long-winded…
Second, a Song:
Courtesy of TheSailingChannel.TV and YouTube.com, we present the
Trailer for Kon-Tiki – A film by Thor Heyerdahl (B&W) which was awarded the 1951 Academy-Award for Best Documentary.
This classic 16mm documentary captures both a sea adventure and a scientific test of ancient sailing techniques. It changed views on where the peoples of Polynesia originated. I hope you enjoy this!
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZizTqJJmTA)
Thought for the Day:
“Civilization grew in the beginning from the minute that we had communication – particularly communication by sea that enabled people to get inspiration and ideas from each other and to exchange basic raw materials.” – Thor Heyerdahl
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Have a great day!
Dave & Colleen
© 2022 David J. Bilinsky and Colleen E. Bilinsky
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