Famous Journeys of Discovery and Exploration From 1000 A.D. to the Space Age

Mapping nearly a millennium of global exploration.

“As you trace these voyages and flights around the world, you will be impressed by the amount of energy they required – from the back-breaking work of sewing a Viking sail to the large quantities of high-energy fuels used by space rockets.” – Text, lower right.

This colorful world map was published in 1963 by the General Drafting Company Inc. on behalf of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and its primary domestic subsidiary, the Humble Oil & Refining Company (operating under both the Esso and Humble brands). The firm looked to tie America’s transportation future and energy security directly to the history of discovery and adventure. A colorful political map of the world has been overlaid with the routes of nearly 30 different explorers, ranging from Leif Ericsson’s voyage to North America (c. 1000) to John Glenn’s historic orbital flight in 1962. Pictorial insets along the bottom of the page show the polar regions, Early French and Spanish Explorations, and a brief summary of outer space exploration.