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Marco Polo was born in Venice. His father and uncle were very rich, and often traveled the world.
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Marco's mother died sometime in his childhood and he was raised by an aunt and uncle. They were wealthy and he learned many important things like foreign currency and appraising.
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Marco's father and uncle traveled to China for the first time, where they met Kublai Khan, the ruler of China.
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Marco Polo went with his father and uncle on his first journey to Cathay, or what is now called China.
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Marco's journey took three years, but he finally arrived in China. He met Kublai Khan, the ruler of China, and he studied the Chinese language and learned to speak it well.
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Kublai Khan sent Marco on a mission for him. Marco Polo traveled across China, and he did his mission so well that Kublai Khan decided Marco would work for him.
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Marco Polo rose in favor with the ruler of China, and he even became the ruler of one of Kublai Khan's cities.
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After celebrating Kublai Khan's daughter's wedding in Persia, Marco Polo and his family returned to Venice. They found it was at war with Genoa.
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Marco joined the Venetian forces, but he was captured and became a prisoner of war. In prison he met a writer, and he told the writer about his travels; the writer wrote Marco's stories down.
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Marco Polo was released from prison, but was still a prisoner of war.
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At the age of 46 Marco Polo got married and began having children. He had three daughters.
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When a book of his stories reached people around Europe, the fame of Marco Polo's travels spread quickly. People were fascinated with the world of the Chinese.
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Marco Polo died in Venice at the age of 74. His travels and explorations inspired other explorers like Christopher Columbus, and the tales he brought back from China got the people interested in other cultures.