On this day, the balsa raft “Kon-Tiki" was cast out on Raroia Atoll in French Polynesia. That was the place the travelers were aiming for: the head of the expedition Thor Heyerdahl set out to prove that the ancient inhabitants of South America could get to Oceania and populate it. In order to do this, balsa trees were cut down in the Andes, each of them was given a separate name according to the ancient custom, and under Heyerdahl's supervision they made a raft out of them, so that it formed a sharp nose. “Kon-Tiki" was equipped with a rectangular sail, a stern oar and other details of construction, so that it became exactly the same as the Inca rafts. Heyerdahl and his five companions fought hunger, waves and bad weather for 101 days; they also shot the film, most of which had to be discarded because the sailors forgot to put their clothes on. But the film was successful and won an Oscar. The raft, named after the legendary hero of Polynesian legends, reached the Tuamotu Islands, just like this hero did; according to the legends, he came from the west and gave rise to the local culture. So, Thor Heyerdahl proved his hypothesis. And a fun fact in the end: the things soaked in the shipwreck of the raft could not dry during the end. Before going to bed at night, the crew staged a competition: whose sleeping bag would be drier. The winner, Bengt Danielsson, was determined in a quite scientific way – by ear. His sleeping bag didn't squelch when he tossed and turned.