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Short Biography of Marco Polo
Date of Birth: Born on September 15, 1254
Place of Birth : Venice
Parents: Father - Niccolo Polo
Uncle: Maffeo
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1254 |
September 15: Marco Polo is
born in Venice |
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1260 |
His wealthy father and uncle,
Nicolo and Maffeo Polo, set sail from Constantinople
to the Crimea on a trading journey
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1262 |
Nicolo and Maffeo Polo receive
an invitation to Cathay (China) to meet Kublai, the
khan of all the Mongols
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1267 |
Kublai Khan sets up a new
Chinese capital at Daidu present day Beijing
(Peking)
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1269 |
Nicolo and Maffeo Polo return
to Venice |
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1271 |
Marco Polo accompanies his
father and uncle on a journey through the Holy Land,
Persia and Tartary and to the Empire of China
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1274 |
The travellers reach Cathay
after a three year journey. Marco Polo arrives in
the capital and his father and uncle renew their
friendly acquaintance with the Kublai Khan and
present him with papal letters. They were given
important positions at his court. Marco Polo studied
the Chinese language which he learnt to speak
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1275 |
Marco Polo is appointed as an
envoy for the Kublai Khan and travels through China
on his missions
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1280's |
Marco Polo travels through
Asia working for the Kublai Khan and is eventually
appointed as a governor of one of his cities
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1292 |
A marriage is arranged for the
daughter of Kublai Khan, the Princess Cocachin, and
the Polo's accompany the wedding party, consisting
of a fleet of fourteen ships, to Persia.
Stops were made at Borneo,
Sumatra, Ceylon and other places until the ships
reach Persia
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1293 |
The Polo's stay in Persia to
celebrate the wedding and then head towards the
Black Sea to make their way back to Venice
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1294 |
The Death of Kublai Khan |
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1295 |
Marco Polo arrives in Venice
with the finest collection of jewels ever seen
Venice is at war with Genoa
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1298 |
Marco Polo was made a
"gentlemen commander" of a Venetian galley
His ship joins in the battle
of Kurzola and he is taken as a prisoner of war by
the Genoese.
Whilst he is in prison he
meets a writer called Rustichello of Pisa and
dictated to him an account of his travels and
experiences in China, Japan, and other Eastern
countries
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1299 |
Marco Polo is released as a
prisoner of war in Genoa: at about this time,
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1300 |
Marco marries a Venetian lady
called Donata and together they have three daughters
called Belela, Fantina and Moreta |
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1307 |
A copy of his book reaches
France and Switzerland and Marco Polo becomes
internationally famous |
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1324 |
January: Marco Polo dies in
Venice, he was almost 70 years old
Marco Polo was buried in the
Church of San Lorenzo
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