The Man Who Chose to Be Marooned | Robinson Crusoe Island

40 True Stories Of People Left Behind On Islands That Vanished — Get My Complete Atlas: https://forgottencoordinates.com In 1704, a hot-tempered Scottish sailor named Alexander Selkirk did something almost unimaginable: he looked at his leaking, rot-infested ship, looked at a completely uninhabited volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, and chose the island. He was left stranded on Isla Más a Tierra with little more than a musket, a knife, and a Bible. What he thought would be a quick rescue turned into four years and four months of total isolation. He ran down wild goats on foot, tamed an army of feral cats to keep the rats away, and nearly forgot how to speak his own language. But his reckless decision turned out to be the smartest choice of his life—because the ship he refused to sail on sank shortly after, killing almost everyone on board. Selkirk’s unbelievable journey of survival went on to inspire Daniel Defoe’s legendary novel Robinson Crusoe. Today, that very island officially bears Crusoe's name—but the real story of the man who lived there is far braver, stranger, and sadder than fiction. Drop a comment below and let us know where you're watching from! Did you know there was a real man behind the story of Robinson Crusoe? Where should we go next? Don't forget to like and subscribe for more stories from the world's most fascinating coordinates!