Profession: Polar Explorer
Biography: Led the Norwegian Antarctic expedition of 1910–12 which was the first to reach the South Pole, famously beating Robert Scott's expedition by 33-34 days.
Amundsen is recognized as the first person to have reached both poles. He is also known as having the first expedition to traverse the Artic's Northwest Passage (1903–06).
In 1926, Amundsen and 15 other men also made the first crossing of the Arctic by air, in the airship Norge.
In June 1928, while taking part in a rescue mission for the Airship Italia, the plane he was in disappeared and he is presumed to have died in the crash or shortly afterwards.
Born: July 16, 1872
Birthplace: Borge, Østfold, Norway
Star Sign: Cancer
Died: June 18, 1928 (aged 55)
Cause of Death: Plane crash
Articles and Photos
Deadly Quest For The Northern Passage
For centuries mankind had sought the fabled Northern Passage - a new route for shipping from Europe to Asia. Explorer Henry Hudson's attempt did not go well.
June 22, 1611
Heartbreak and Tragedy for Captain Scott
Beaten to the South Pole by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen on this day, only despair and death awaited British explorer Captain Robert Scott.
December 14, 1911
Historical Events
- 1903-06-16 Roald Amundsen commences the first east-west navigation of the Northwest Passage by leaving Oslo, Norway
- 1905-11-05 Roald Amundsen reaches Eagle City, Alaska, to announce to the world by telegraph his is the first expedition, in 400 years of attempts, to complete a Northwest Passage
- 1911-01-13 Roald Amundsen anchors at Walvis Bay, southwestern Africa
- 1911-01-14 Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition lands on the Ross Ice Shelf
- 1911-10-20 Norwegian Roald Amundsen sets out a race to the South Pole
- 1911-12-14 Norwegian Roald Amundsen's Antarctic expedition is the 1st to reach the South Pole
- 1912-01-17 Captain Robert Scott's expedition arrives at the South Pole, one month after Roald Amundsen
- 1912-03-07 Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen announces his team was the first to reach the South Pole (located 14 December 1911), 34 days before British explorer Robert Falcon Scott
- 1926-05-12 Airship Norge is the first vessel to fly over North Pole, led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and piloted by the craft's Italian designer Umberto Nobile
- 1958-01-04 NZ team led by Edmund Hillary reaches the South Pole, the 1st to reach the Pole overland using motor vehicles and the 1st since Amundsen in 1911 and Scott in 1912
Biographies and Sources
- Roald Amundsen - The Canadian Encyclopedia
Alexander von Humboldt
Ferdinand Magellan
James Cook
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Walter Raleigh