The characters you’re about to meet run the gamut from monks and eunuchs to teachers and explorers, but are united by an insatiable curiosity to crest the next rise or visit the next shore. We chose them because they escaped the round of their everyday lives to achieve something exceptional. All have penetrated the popular imagination and left enduring legacies, but with the oft-touted 5,000 years of history to work with, there are dozens (if not hundreds) of people we will have overlooked. Of course, you’re welcome to let us know who you think deserves a place in the pantheon via the website or email.