π The raft Kon-Tiki sets sail (1947)
After more than 100 days drifting at sea, they reached a Polynesian island.
Where: Callao, Peru
Nearby on the globe: Government Palace of Peru β π Open the 3D globe
π On This Day: April 28
April 28, 1947: The raft Kon-Tiki sets sail. On this day in 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his friends left the port of Callao, Peru, on a balsa-wood raft called Kon-Tiki. They wanted to see for themselves whether ancient people could have crossed the Pacific on rafts.
β¨ More events on this day
- 1910 π§ French pilot Louis Paulhan won the London to Manchester air race, the first long-distance airplane race in Britain, flying about 300 kilometres.
- 1923 π Wembley Stadium opened in London, first called the Empire Stadium, and became the home of England's biggest football matches.
- 1937 π¬ Scientist Max Theiler developed a vaccine against yellow fever, a disease spread by mosquitoes, and later won the Nobel Prize for it.
π§ Question of the day
What was the Kon-Tiki made of?
- Balsa wood
- Ice
- Iron
Show the answer
Answer: Balsa wood
π Landmarks that opened on April 28
Questions
What happened on April 28?
April 28, 1947: The raft Kon-Tiki sets sail. It happened in Callao, Peru.
Which landmarks opened on April 28?
Basotho Hat building (opened 1962), 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin) (opened 2004).
In the game, the "Today on Earth" panel shows this story on its day, with a question to answer and a place to fly to.