On October 5, 1974, Dave Kunst walked back into Waseca, Minnesota, completing a historic journey that had begun there more than four years earlier. His return made him the first person independently verified to have walked around the world, completing a 14,450-mile route across four continents and 13 countries. Because he traveled by air across the oceans, the achievement is more precisely described as a circumnavigation of the world’s landmass on foot.
Kunst and his brother John set out from Waseca on June 20, 1970, determined to make the journey on foot. Over the next four years, they faced punishing distances, unfamiliar terrain, logistical obstacles, and constant physical strain. Kunst ultimately wore out 21 pairs of shoes during the expedition.
The journey was also marked by tragedy. In Afghanistan in October 1972, bandits attacked the brothers: John was killed, and Dave was shot in the chest and left for dead. After several months of recovery, Dave returned to Afghanistan and resumed the walk in his brother’s memory, joined by another brother, Pete, for part of the remaining journey.
When Kunst crossed the finish line in Waseca on October 5, 1974—four years, three months, and 16 days after leaving—his accomplishment attracted widespread attention and earned recognition in Guinness World Records. His journey remains an extraordinary testament to endurance, resilience, and determination.
