The northwest passage

I never thought I would see this happen in my lifetime:

The  enterprising Arctic voyage of two German cargo carriers, the  Beluga Foresight and Beluga Fraternity, is nearing its end. The ships, departing Siberia, are poised to complete the last leg of a journey that began in Ulsan, South Korea, in late July as they take 3,500 tons of cargo to Rotterdam later this month. In doing so they will complete the first known commercial shipment from Asia to Europe via the Arctic —  a centuries-old dream of mariners, after nearly 500 years of dreaming about such a trade route.

(Via Dot Earth.)