What is the history of passports?

Have you ever wondered what that little blue booklet your parents keep safely locked away is for? It is a passport, and it is basically the ultimate global permission slip! Join Mira and Finn on a globe-trotting adventure as we unlock the amazing history of passports. We will travel all the way back to ancient Persia in 450 BCE, where a traveler used a special wax-sealed letter from a mighty king to stay safe from bandits on a thousand-mile journey! Then, we'll fast forward to medieval Europe to learn how passing through giant city gates—or "portes" in French—gave the passport its famous name! Did you know that when super-fast steam trains were invented, countries actually got rid of passports because people were traveling too quickly? It's true! We will also discover how 42 nations met in Paris to invent the modern passport book, why you can't submit a photo of yourself riding a horse anymore, and how modern e-passports use hidden computer chips. Plus, find out why the Apollo 11 astronauts had to fill out a customs form for alien moon dust when they got back to Earth!