Happy Throwback Thursday! Our throwback year this week is 1974. That year, David Kunst became the first person to complete a verified circumnavigation of the world on foot! He set out with his brother, John, from Waseca, Minnesota on June 20, 1970. From there, they walked 1,500 miles to New York City. They travelled with a mule named Willie Makeit to carry their camping supplies, and also had a letter of recommendation from US Senator Hubert Humphrey, a scroll to be signed by officials along the way, and $1000 cash. They reached New York in October, and flew to Portugal, where they began their trek across Europe. During their travels, the brothers asked people to send donations to UNICEF. Tragedy struck in October 1972, when bandits in Afghanistan attacked them, mistakenly believing the brothers were carrying all the money they’d raised for UNICEF. John was shot and killed, while Dave was shot in the chest but survived by playing dead. After 4 months spent recovering from his injuries, Dave picked up where he left off in Afghanistan, this time with his other brother Peter. They were denied permission to walk through China, so instead walked through India. They were also denied entry into the Soviet Union, so they flew from India to Australia. Finally, in July 1974, Dave flew from Sydney to Los Angeles to finish the trip, making his way across the western U.S. back to Minnesota. Thousands of well-wishers gathered to welcome him home. In all, it took 4 years and 21 pairs of shoes to complete the 14,500 journey across 4 continents. Learn more in the audio below.