August 01

Deaths - Explorers & Adventurers

1252day.year

Giovanni da Pian del Carpine

(1180 - 1252)

Italian archbishop and explorer

Giovanni da Pian del Carpine was an Italian Franciscan archbishop and one of the first European envoys to reach the court of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He served as a papal legate and provided Europe with some of the earliest detailed accounts of Mongol lands.

Born around 1180, Carpine joined the Franciscan order and rose to become Archbishop of Antivari. In 1245, Pope Innocent IV sent him as a legate to the Great Khan to seek peace and conversion of the Mongols to Christianity. He traveled through Eastern Europe to the Mongol capital at Karakorum, enduring harsh conditions and long distances. Carpine's account, 'Ystoria Mongalorum,' offered valuable insights into Mongol society, military tactics, and governance. His mission opened a new era of East-West contact and influenced later explorers. He died in 1252, leaving a legacy as a pioneer in European exploration of Asia.

1252 Giovanni da Pian del Carpine

1903day.year

Calamity Jane

(1853 - 1903)

American frontierswoman and scout

Legendary American frontierswoman and scout known for her sharpshooting and exploits in the Wild West.

Martha Jane Canary, better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman and scout renowned for her fearless spirit. She served as a civilian scout for the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars and claimed to have carried dispatches across dangerous territory. Calamity Jane gained fame for her skills with firearms, horseback riding, and her unconventional style, often wearing men's clothing. She traveled extensively through the frontier, taking part in stagecoach escorts and shows. Calamity Jane's colorful stories and association with figures like Wild Bill Hickok made her an enduring legend of the American Old West.

1903 Calamity Jane