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.

“These incredible shots show the stunning formations of an iceberg beneath the surface of the ocean. Taken in Tasiilaq, Greenland, by Franco Banfi, the underwater photography captures the beauty of these ice mountains beneath the ocean’s surface. In some of the photos, divers are swimming around an iceberg under the frozen water, while other images show some of the weird and wonderful creatures you can encounter in that part of the ocean”. (Photo by Franco Banfi/Caters News Agency)

Ocean Rebellion put on a display of puking oil heads ahead of climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow, Britain, 29 October 2021. (Photo by Robert Perry/EPA/EFE)

Professional adventurer Alison Teal has become the first woman to paddle out into lava during a volcanic eruption into the sea. Amazing shots of the extreme surf session shows the daredevil riding her pink surfboard up to the base of Kilauea Volcano. Photographer Perrin James snapped the brave explorer within feet of the lava as it flows into the ocean. Its the first the volcano in the Big Island of Hawaii has erupted since 2011. Here: Alison Teal paddles out to Kilauea volcano in Hawaii as it eruopts into the ocean. (Photo by Perrin James/Caters News)

Activists from the climate action group Ocean Rebellion perform a stunt outside the Science Museum, in London, United Kingdom on May 19, 2021. (Photo by Hannah McKay/Reuters)

A radio-controlled flying witch makes a test flight past a moon setting into clouds along the pacific ocean in Carlsbad, California October 8, 2014. Reuters was invited to photograph the testing of the life sized device by inventor Otto Dieffenbach lll. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

Porters carry the carcasses of a shark (L) and a Marlin (R) to the local market in Hamarweyne near the port of Mogadishu on the Indian Ocean coast on November 18, 2014 in the Somalia capital as fishermen bring in their catch. (Photo by Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP Photo)

This aerial photograph shows beach-goers gathering on a beach alongside the Atlantic Ocean in Carcans, south-western France on July 22, 2025. (Photo by Christophe Archambault/AFP Photo)