On April 28, 1947, Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl and five crewmembers set sail from Callao, Peru, on their primitive raft, the Kon-Tiki. Their destination was Polynesia, nearly 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) away. Heyerdahl was interested in how small islands were populated, where the people originated, and how aspects of culture could be traced.