Marco Polo Marco Polo was born in 1254. He was a Italian traveler and explorer. He was the first European to cross the entire continent of Asia and leave a record of what he saw and heard. Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254. His father Nicolo Polo was a merchant. Marco's mother died when he was just 15 years old. When he was 17, he went to China with his father and uncle. Marco Polo served as …showed first 75 words of 325 total…

…showed last 75 words of 325 total…heard while he traveled. Marco Polo's book, "The Travels of Marco Polo", first published in French, is probably the most famous travel book in history. It was the basis of the first accurate maps of Asia. The book helped Christopher Columbus in his explorations. Marco Polo died in 1324 when he was 70 years old. When on his death bed, he said "I didn't tell half of what I saw, because no one would have believed me."