What History Forgot Season 1 Episode 3 To the Ends of the World

To the Ends of the World is the third episode of the first season of the What History Forgot TV series. The show uncovers and explores forgotten stories from history that have been overlooked or suppressed. In this episode, the focus is on the journeys made by several explorers from around the world, as they set out to discover new lands and territories.

The episode begins by highlighting the struggles of Francisco de Orellana, a Spanish conquistador who embarked on an epic voyage in 1541 down the Amazon River. He was searching for the legendary land of El Dorado, but instead he discovered a vast new river system, previously unknown to the Old World. The story follows his journey, showing the challenges he faced as he battled against dense jungle, hostile tribes, and unpredictable weather, with a crew that was falling apart.

The episode then shifts to another forgotten hero, this time from Russia. In the late 1640s, Semyon Dezhnev led a small crew on an ambitious mission to find a sea route from Siberia to the West. This was a time when the Northeast Passage was still undiscovered, and Dezhnev's voyage would be the first to navigate the entire length of Russia's eastern coastline. The program documents his journey, highlighting the challenges he faced as he tried to cross the frozen Arctic waters, dealing with storms, mutinous crew members, and freezing temperatures.

The next journey covered in the episode is that of the French explorer, La Pérouse, who set out in 1785 to explore the Pacific. His journey was to be one of the most ambitious of its time, covering a vast area of the Pacific Ocean, and visiting many different islands. Along the way, La Pérouse's crew made contact with many different groups, including the Americans, Pacific Islanders, and the Chinese. What is most interesting about La Pérouse is that he and his crew were never seen again, leading to many historical mysteries and conspiracy theories.

The final journey covered in To the Ends of the World is that of the British explorer, James Clark Ross, who sailed to the Antarctic in the 1830s, with the largest naval expedition that had ever been sent to the region. Ross was tasked with discovering the location of the magnetic South Pole, and documenting the wildlife and geography of the area. The episode covers his voyage, highlighting the extreme conditions he and his crew faced, including constant blizzards, treacherous ice floes, and a lack of fresh water. Despite these challenges, Ross's expedition was one of the most successful of its time, and he was able to map much of the unknown territory of the Antarctic.

Overall, To the Ends of the World is a fascinating episode on historical exploration, covering some of the most grueling and ambitious journeys ever undertaken. The stories are told through a mix of expert interviews, archival footage, and dramatic recreations, which help viewers to better understand the challenges these explorers faced in their quest to discover new territory. The episode is a testament to the human spirit of exploration, and how we as a species are driven to discover the unknown and push beyond our limits.