1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 1: Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: show that follows the winding path of history wherever it 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: may lead. I'm Gabe Luesier, and in this episode, we're 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: looking at the story of a rather polarizing record holder, 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: a man who walked across thirteen countries by foot and 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: returned as the most hated man in town. The day 8 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: was October fifth, nineteen seventy four. American Dave Kunst became 9 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: the first known person to circumnavigate the globe on foot. 10 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: It took him four years, three months, sixteen days, and 11 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: twenty one pairs of shoes to complete the fourteen thousand, 12 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: five hundred mile journey. Will A few other long range 13 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: pedestrians had claimed to circle the world several decades before him, 14 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: Coonst was the first one to offer solid proof. His 15 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: trek across four continents had been highly publicized, and he 16 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: carried a scroll for the mayors of each town he 17 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: passed through to sign and stamp. Coonst round the world 18 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: trip proved to be the adventure of a lifetime, but 19 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: it also brought him plenty of heartache and controversy along 20 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: the Way. Born on July sixteenth, nineteen thirty nine, Dave 21 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: Coonst spent most of his early life in Minnesota, where 22 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: he worked a day job as a county surveyor and 23 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: moonlighted as a projectionist at a local movie theater. But 24 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: after watching the historic moon Landing in nineteen sixty nine, 25 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: the thirty year old family man began to crave an 26 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: adventure of his own. He ran a few ideas by 27 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: his wife and three children, including driving to the tip 28 00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: of South America and traveling across the Australian Outback, but 29 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: those things had all been done before. Finally, one of 30 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: his co workers at the theater suggested he do something 31 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: truly ambitious, walk across the entire world and back again. 32 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: Coons loved the idea, but he didn't want to take 33 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: on the year's long challenge on his own. He convinced 34 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: his younger brother, John, a recent University of Minnesota graduate, 35 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: to tag along, and the two set out together from 36 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: their home town of Waska on June twentieth, nineteen seventy. 37 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: Thousands of supporters gathered to see them off, and the 38 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: high school band played King of the Road as they 39 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 1: departed on the advice of a neighbor. The brothers brought 40 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: along a mule named Willie Makett to carry their belongings. 41 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: They also carried a letter of endorsement from U S 42 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,839 Speaker 1: Senator Hubert Humphrey, along with the mayoral scroll to prove 43 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: where they had been, and a stack of UNSEF cards 44 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: so they could collect pledges for the Children's Fund from 45 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: people they met along the way. That last part had 46 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: been John's idea, a way to ensure that the trip 47 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: wasn't just for themselves. Walking east, the brothers reached New 48 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: York City in a matter of weeks. Then they parted 49 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: ways with their faithful donkey and flew across the Atlantic 50 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: Ocean to Portugal, where they were gifted a second mule 51 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: by the country's tourist bureau. They named their new travel 52 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: companion Willy Make It Too, and together they journeyed on 53 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: through Europe. The brothers had started out with just one 54 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: thousand dollars between them and had planned to take on 55 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: odd jobs whenever funds ran low, but since their journey 56 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: had made headlines worldwide, they wound up being offered free 57 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 1: food and shelter from well wishers just about everywhere they went. 58 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: They continued in this way for the next two years, 59 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: traveling across the continent through Spain, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, 60 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: and into Iran. They had several brushes with celebrities along 61 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: the way, including Princess Disgrace of Monaco and famed Norwegian 62 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: explorer Thor Heyerdahl, whom they met at a cafe in Italy. 63 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: They also added two dogs to their traveling party, Drifter 64 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: who sadly died in an accident in Turkey and his replacement, 65 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: the aptly named Drifter two. The brother's journey went fairly 66 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: smoothly for those first two years, but on October twenty first, 67 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy two, things took a tragic turn. They had 68 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: been traveling through Afghanistan for several weeks, struggling through the 69 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty degree heat of the so called 70 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: Desert of Death. Then, one night, after making camp about 71 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: ninety miles south of Kabble, the brothers heard Drifter two 72 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: barking at something in the distance. Moments later, they found 73 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,359 Speaker 1: themselves surrounded by six armed bandits, who had heard of 74 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: the brothers through a recent interview they'd given. Unfortunately, due 75 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: to an error in translation. The reporter had erroneously written 76 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: that the brothers were a actually carrying donations for UNICEF, 77 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: rather than just pledge cards. So when the bandits spotted 78 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: their cart in the desert, they thought they'd hit the jackpot. 79 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: As soon as they were in range, the bandits opened fire, 80 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,119 Speaker 1: shooting Dave in the lung and John in the heart. 81 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: Dave told his brother to play dead until the bandits 82 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: had left, not realizing that he was dead already. Against 83 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: the odds, Dave survived through the night and was found 84 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: on the side of the road the following day, delirious 85 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: and covered in blood. He flew home to Minnesota to 86 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: recuperate and grieve, but after about four months he was 87 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: itching to get back on the road to finish what 88 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: he and John had started. This time, he would be 89 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,279 Speaker 1: accompanied by his other brother, Peter, a former marine, who 90 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: took off work so that Dave wouldn't have to walk alone. 91 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: On March first, nineteen seventy three, the brothers returned to 92 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: Afghanistan and continued the global journey from the exact spot 93 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: where John had been killed. From there, they walked through 94 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: the Kyber Pass in Pakistan, supposedly becoming the first non 95 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: Asian travelers to pass through it since Alexander the Great. 96 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: Then they crossed into India, where they found homes for 97 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: Drift or two and Willie make It Too, before boarding 98 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: a plain to Australia. Upon their arrival, the brothers adopted 99 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: a third mule, will Willie make It, and then set 100 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: out on a long walk through Australia. Things started to 101 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,159 Speaker 1: go off the rails again about half way through their trek. 102 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: First Peter had to drop out after being called back 103 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: to work in the US. Then Dave's mule had a 104 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: heart attack and died right there in the road. He 105 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: briefly considered abandoning his cart and going home, but luckily 106 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: he had already made a friend in Australia, a school 107 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 1: teacher in Perth named Jennie Samuel. They'd hit it off 108 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: a week or so earlier during one of Dave's pit stops, 109 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: and he had actually promised to leave his wife and 110 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: return to her once his journey was over. He wound 111 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: up seeing her earlier than expected, though, After his mule's 112 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: heart gave out, Samuel volunteered to carry Dave's belongings in 113 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: her car, which he drove alongside him for the remaining 114 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: one thousand miles of his trip. Finally, after covering about 115 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: thirty miles a day, Dave Konst reached the Pacific Ocean 116 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: and flew to California to begin the final leg of 117 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: his long journey home. Once again, he enlisted the help 118 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: of a donkey will Willie make it too, but that 119 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: one only made it part way through California before kicking 120 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: in the headlights of a police car. Having to be released. 121 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: Coons decided to go the rest of the way alone, 122 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: and it turned out to be a rough trip. Indeed, 123 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: while walking through Iowa, he was joined by a reporter 124 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: from the Minneapolis Tribune. They traveled together for a few 125 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: days and talked about all kinds of things, many of 126 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: which Dave wrongly assumed were off the record. The resulting 127 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: article featured several scandalous revelations about the world traveler, including 128 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: his extramarital affair in Australia and his opinion that there 129 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: were quote so many damn dumb foreigners in this world. 130 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: He also made clear that he didn't think highly of 131 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: his hometown or of most of the people who lived there, 132 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: including his own family. I'm doing this for myself. Mainly, 133 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: he told the reporter, I was tired of Waska, tired 134 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: of my job, tired of a lot of little people 135 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: who don't want to think, and tired of my wife. 136 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: The walk was a perfect way to change all that. 137 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: I just walked out of town. The Waska Chamber of 138 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: Commerce had been planning a big homecoming celebration for konst 139 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:45,559 Speaker 1: but once his true feelings were made public, they made 140 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: it clear that any festivities would be quote to honor 141 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: the completion of the walk, but not Dave Kunsti's ideals. 142 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: The town mayor also registered his disapproval by refusing to 143 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 1: appear at the event none the less. When Coons arrived 144 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: back where he had started on October fifth, nineteen seventy four, 145 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: he was greeted by a cheering crowd of about two 146 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: hundred people. He had done what he had set out 147 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:13,959 Speaker 1: to do, and even earned a Guinness World Record as 148 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: the first man verified to have traveled the globe on foot. 149 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: The achievement had cost him the respect of his neighbors 150 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 1: and the life of his brother, but it also brought 151 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: him a new love. Shortly after his return, Dave Kons 152 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: divorced his wife flew back to Australia and married Jenny Samuel. 153 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: They later returned to the US and moved to California, 154 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: where they've lived together ever since. I'm Gay, Bluesier and 155 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: hopefully you now know a little more about history today 156 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. You can learn even more about 157 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:52,839 Speaker 1: history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 158 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: TDI HC Show, and if you have any comments or suggestions, 159 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: feel free to send him my way by by writing 160 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: to this Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler 161 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 1: Mays for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 162 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 163 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: in history class.