Dave Kunst
Encyclopedia
Dave Kunst is the first person verified to have walked around the earth.
with his brother John, a letter of recommendation from Sen. Hubert Humphrey
, a scroll to be signed by officials along the way, $1000 and a mule named Willie Makeit carrying camping supplies.
The brothers walked to New York City
with Willie Makeit, then flew to Portugal
, where they acquired a second mule (Willie stayed home). Dave and John walked across Europe and visited Monaco
, where they met Princess Grace, and Italy
, where they encountered Thor Heyerdahl
.
During their travels, the brothers collected donations to UNICEF, which a reporter in Afghanistan mistakenly wrote they carried along with them. John was killed when bandits shot him in the mountains of Afghanistan
in October 1972. Dave was shot in the chest during the same attack, but survived by playing dead. After spending 4 months recovering from his injuries, Dave resumed his journey along with his brother Pete, from the spot where John was killed. As they continued their travels, Dave and Pete were denied access to the USSR, so they flew from India
to Australia
.
Pete returned home during the Australia-leg of the trek, where Dave continued on alone, by this time on his 3rd mule. Unfortunately, the mule died and Dave was left hauling his wagon of supplies himself. He was on the verge of abandoning his supplies, when he fortuitously met Jenni Samuel, a schoolteacher from Perth
. She helped pull his wagon with her car, while he walked alongside. Dave returned to Australia for a year after completing his journey. Jenni and Dave later married and are still together .
"I walked 20 million steps" Dave says, figuring 31 steps per 100 feet "I wore out 21 pairs of shoes but I proved something to myself: If a human being makes up his mind, is determined, sets goals, he can walk around the world."
The brothers were commemorated in June 2004 with a plaque in their hometown of Caledonia, Minnesota
. The inscription reads: "Caledonia: Birthplace of the Earthwalkers David, Peter and John Kunst."
Walk
Kunst's trek began June 20, 1970 and ended October 5, 1974. Dave started his journey in Waseca, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
with his brother John, a letter of recommendation from Sen. Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
, a scroll to be signed by officials along the way, $1000 and a mule named Willie Makeit carrying camping supplies.
The brothers walked to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with Willie Makeit, then flew to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, where they acquired a second mule (Willie stayed home). Dave and John walked across Europe and visited Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, where they met Princess Grace, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where they encountered Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a background in zoology and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition, in which he sailed by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands...
.
During their travels, the brothers collected donations to UNICEF, which a reporter in Afghanistan mistakenly wrote they carried along with them. John was killed when bandits shot him in the mountains of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in October 1972. Dave was shot in the chest during the same attack, but survived by playing dead. After spending 4 months recovering from his injuries, Dave resumed his journey along with his brother Pete, from the spot where John was killed. As they continued their travels, Dave and Pete were denied access to the USSR, so they flew from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Pete returned home during the Australia-leg of the trek, where Dave continued on alone, by this time on his 3rd mule. Unfortunately, the mule died and Dave was left hauling his wagon of supplies himself. He was on the verge of abandoning his supplies, when he fortuitously met Jenni Samuel, a schoolteacher from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. She helped pull his wagon with her car, while he walked alongside. Dave returned to Australia for a year after completing his journey. Jenni and Dave later married and are still together .
"I walked 20 million steps" Dave says, figuring 31 steps per 100 feet "I wore out 21 pairs of shoes but I proved something to myself: If a human being makes up his mind, is determined, sets goals, he can walk around the world."
The brothers were commemorated in June 2004 with a plaque in their hometown of Caledonia, Minnesota
Caledonia, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,965 people, 1,223 households, and 754 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,037.1 people per square mile . There were 1,286 housing units at an average density of 449.8 per square mile...
. The inscription reads: "Caledonia: Birthplace of the Earthwalkers David, Peter and John Kunst."
External links
Additional Resources
- The Papers of David Kunst are available for research use at the Minnesota Historical Society.