28th April, 1947 explorer Thor Heyerdahl went on an expedition

On the 28th of April, 1947 Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl together with five like-minded people went on a raft constructed of balsa wood in a long journey. Travel map shows that for the three months mariners managed to cover the distance of 5000 nautical miles from the coast of South America to Tahiti.

The raft was named Kon-Tiki in honor of the god of the Incas. According to legend, the Kon-Tiki accompanied by fellow tribesmen came from the east and founded settlements on the islands of Polynesia.

Heyerdahl's raft was built of nine 10-14 logs meters in length interconnected so that the nose was sharp. The design provides for a rectangular sail, oar, two parallel rows of planks that stuck out from the bottom and served as the rudder and keel. It is on these rafts Incas traveled distances of up to 50 nautical miles.

On geographic map one can trace the route of the expedition that Heyerdahl developed in accordance with his own theory of migration routes alleged ancestors of the Polynesians from South America. Thus, he was able to prove the possibility of crossing the Pacific Ocean from the central part of South America to the west and to confirm the hypothesis that the Americans could colonize Polynesia.

Heyerdahl later published a book entitled "Journey on the Kon-Tiki". The participants also made ​​a film about the expedition , which immediately became a bestseller that brought Heyerdahl funds for further research.