British model Jourdan Dunn poses on the red carpet at the Fashion Awards 2021 in London, United Kingdom on November 29, 2021. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

A photograph of a girl carrying a baby on the spot of the previous day's car bomb attack that killed killed and wounded hundreds at the Sadriyah market in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, April 19, 2007, is inserted into the scene at the same location on Monday, March 20, 2023, 20 years after the U.S. led invasion on Iraq and subsequent war. (Photo by Hadi Mizban/AP Photo)

A medical worker in protective gear sprays mist on her colleague during a hot day at an outdoor clinic for coronavirus tests at a public health facility in the southwestern city of Gwangju, South Korea, 05 June 2020. (Photo by Yonhap/EPA/EFE)

Awkwafina poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy for “The Farewell” at the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, January 5, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

Law enforcement carry a pro-Palestinian protester at the University of Texas, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Austin, Texas on April 24, 2024. (Photo by Nuri Vallbona/Reuters)

From the top of a building, Kanon Kennedy, of Washington, looks down at the Black Lives Matter mural as demolition begins, Monday, March 10, 2025, in Washington. (Photo by acquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

Joseph's Amazing Racing Pigs entertain the crowds at the Gillingham And Shaftesbury Spring Countryside Show, on June 09, 2024 in Shaftesbury, England. The countryside show celebrates Dorset's rural life, traditions and culture. Initially set to be the first countryside show of Dorset's rural calendar but now featuring near the end of Spring after a postponement due to a waterlogged showground. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

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.