Australia's Nicholas Timmings competes in the men's Skeleton World Cup in Altenberg, eastern Germany, on December 3, 2021. (Photo by Tobias Schwarz/AFP Photo)

Buddhists monks and children look out from the rooftop at a Buddhist mission hostel and school for underprivileged children as an international passenger flight takes off at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport as the authorities eased restrictions imposed as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Kolkata on July 5, 2020. (Photo by Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP Photo)

Thai school girls pose for photographs with pythons during the 2022 Pet Expo Championship in Bangkok on September 8, 2022. (Photo by Manan Vatsyayana/AFP Photo)

A City of Hollywood SWAT team member helps Alex Treacy from a search and rescue truck as she is evacuated from a flooded area on June 12, 2024, in Hollywood, Florida. As tropical moisture passes through the area, areas have become flooded due to the heavy rain. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A woman adjusts the mirror of a retro tram KTM-1 (1948-1950) during the street exhibition “Retro Tram Parade” as part of marking the 125th anniversary of the city tramway service in Moscow, Russia on 13 July 2024. (Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA/EFE)

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.

Cave Diver, Anhumas Abyss, Bonito, Brazil: The Anhumas Abyss is an underground cavern with a crystal-clear lake below, more than 260 feet (79 m) deep. A visitor must enter through a narrow opening at the top of the chamber and rappel into the cave. Snorkeling and scuba diving in the lake reveal amazing scenery. Distinctive, conical limestone stalagmites and stalactites occupy the lake and the surrounding area, some reaching 65 feet (20 m) high. (Photo by Marcio Cabral/Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2017)

The model Gigi Hadid receives attention in Soho, New York, USA on June 27, 2017. (Photo by Broadimage/Rex Features/Shutterstock)