PinnedJohn SailorsEnrique of Malacca Completes First Circumnavigation — by LanguageOn March 28, 1521, Enrique of Malacca became the first person to complete a linguistic circumnavigation of the globe — he traveled so far…Jan 3, 20221Jan 3, 20221
John SailorsColumbus’s Legacy Sails into New Waters on DNA Study’s Spanish, Jewish Origin ClaimsThe debate over Christopher Columbus’s legacy has entered a new dimension: A just-released DNA study says Columbus was born in the Spanish…Oct 151Oct 151
John SailorsJohn Mandeville Medieval Travelogue Predicts Enrique of Malacca’s CircumnavigationA handful of medieval travelogues were the closest thing Ferdinand Magellan had to a travel guide when he sought a westward route to Asia —…Dec 14, 2023Dec 14, 2023
John SailorsBits of History on Book Bans: Striving for Dark AgesHold their beer, First Amendment: Illinois recently banned book bans, and California followed suit with Gov. Gavin Newsom signing…Oct 8, 2023Oct 8, 2023
John SailorsA DNA Search for Columbus’s Origin: Dueling LegaciesFew historical figures have had their legacy as hotly debated as Christopher Columbus’s. Today as many cry “Tear down the statues,” others…Sep 14, 20231Sep 14, 20231
John SailorsAI Estimates Phileas Fogg’s Travel Times: Was 80 Days Possible?I asked ChatGPT about Phileas Fogg’s 1873 circumnavigation of the globe in Jules Verne’s classic novel Around the World in Eighty Days:Aug 3, 2023Aug 3, 2023
John SailorsTest of AI-Assisted Writing: Goodbye, Take-home Exams!Long live(d) the term paper, the book report, and the essay question. AI is here, a development that will impact teachers and professors of…Jun 23, 2023Jun 23, 2023
John SailorsDiogo Ribeiro: Portrait of a ‘Renaissance’ CartographerDiogo Ribeiro was a Renaissance cartographer, a mapmaker who did it all. In addition to creating several of the most extensive world maps…May 14, 2023May 14, 2023
John SailorsPaulo, Magellan’s Patagonian GiantPart of the “explorer” mindset, a common reaction to encountering a novel people was the urge to kidnap a few to bring home as souvenirs…Apr 28, 2023Apr 28, 2023
John SailorsSome History on the Tomato and the Love AppleA trite legend but accurate anecdote for the plant’s history, in the early 1800s people across America and Europe were terrified by an…Apr 22, 2023Apr 22, 2023
