Hey.
Welcome to the forums and I will answer your questions.
Can the Map view be set up as the default view?
Yes this can be set as default view on the PRO version.
Can visitors view past events on the map view as well?
Yes past events are available on the map, they just need to navigate on “previous events” similar as “previous page” works on default WordPress articles, and those past events are going to be visible on the map.
Let me know if you have any other questions about the plugin.
Best
Crisoforo