Contents
Roald Amundsen
Leading the first expedition to reach the South Pole.
Northwest Passage · Polar exploration
- Born
- 16 July 1872
- Birthplace
- Borge, Norway
- Died
- 18 June 1928
More people
Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen was a Norwegian polar explorer who combined careful preparation with experience of Arctic travel. His expeditions crossed the Northwest Passage and reached the South Pole before other teams.
Early life
Maritime family
Grew up in a Norwegian family of shipowners and captains.
Medicine to the sea
Abandoned medical studies after his mother’s death to pursue exploration.
Career
- 1897–1899
Antarctic apprenticeship
Served on the Belgica expedition, which overwintered trapped in Antarctic ice.
- 1903–1906
Northwest Passage
Led the small ship Gjøa through the Arctic sea route.
- 1910–1912
Southern expedition
Redirected the Fram expedition toward the South Pole.
- 1920s
Polar aviation
Turned to aircraft and airships for further exploration.
Expeditions
Northwest Passage completed
His crew made the first complete navigation of the route.
South Pole
Reached the pole with four companions on 14 December.
Norge flight
Crossed the North Pole by airship with an international expedition.
Beyond exploration
Inuit knowledge
Learned about clothing, dog handling and survival from Inuit people during Arctic travel.
Final search
Disappeared on 18 June 1928 while flying to assist the search for a missing polar airship crew.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Anonymous Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
