In this Thursday, March 28, 2019, photo, a “golden giant burger” is served at a restaurant of Hotel Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Tokyo. The $900 wagyu (Japanese-produced beef) burger was unveiled to commemorate the era change. What’s in a name? Quite a lot if you’re a Japanese citizen awaiting the official announcement Monday, April 1, 2019 of what the soon-to-be-installed new emperor’s next era will be called. It’s a proclamation that has happened only twice in nearly a century, and the new name will follow Emperor Naruhito, after his May 1 investiture, for the duration of his rule, attaching itself to much of what happens in Japan. (Photo by Kyodo News via AP Photo)

A model presents a creation at the Moschino fashion show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017 in Milan, Italy, September 22, 2016. (Photo by Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters)

A girl looks out of a car at a checkpoint set up by Venezuelan security forces in Taguanes, Venezuela, February 21, 2019. (Photo by Andres Martinez Casares/Reuters)

Do you think that history is a science? Well, not exactly. First, and foremost, history is the state's “legend of wars”, it’s official regalia. Of course, public historians are not interested in scientific truth – quite the opposite. In this respect, any attempt to present a state’s history as altruistic and benevolent as possible is welcomed and encouraged – as opposed to any revisionism attempts that may be more accurate. In this matter, Chinese have surpassed us all – they revised in highly creative manner (but rather shamelessly) the technology already invented by Europeans, a process that resulted in oldest state on the planet. Here is an interesting paradox: ask any sinologist about the Middle Kingdom during second century B.C., and he will describe it to you in such a vivid manner as if he has been living there all his life – but as soon as you will ask him to describe Chinese history in the 19-20th centuries… let's say, his eagerness will be greatly diminished. However, we will discuss China in a different article, and in the meantime we will try to understand how exactly historic “legend of wars” is formed and functions – based on a specific and well-known example. A great example is Ferdinand Magellan's first voyage around the world.

A migrant smokes a cigarette as he waits among others to cross the Croatian border near the village of Berkasovo, Serbia October 19, 2015. Thousands of migrants clamoured to enter European Union member Croatia from Serbia on Monday after a night spent in the cold and mud of no-man's land, their passage west slowed by a Slovenian effort to impose limits on the flow to western Europe. (Photo by Marko Djurica/Reuters)

Takamoto Katsuta of Japan and Aaron Johnston of Ireland with their Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 #18 during the Shakedown of the FIA World Rally Championship Kenya on June 21, 2023 in Naivasha, Kenya. (Photo by Massimo Bettiol/Getty Images)

Guests attend Kevin Germanier Spring/Summer 2024 Women's ready-to-wear collection show for his label Germanier at Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France on September 26, 2023. (Photo by Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters)

Team members pose during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, on August 8, 2021 at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Reuters)