Contents
Thor Heyerdahl
Crossing the Pacific on the Kon-Tiki raft in 1947.
The Kon-Tiki Expedition · Ra II
- Born
- 6 October 1914
- Birthplace
- Larvik, Norway
- Died
- 18 April 2002
More people
Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian expedition leader who tested the capabilities of ancient-style vessels through ocean voyages.
Early life
Natural-history interests
Collected specimens as a child and created a small museum.
University study
Studied zoology and geography in Oslo before travelling to Polynesia.
Career
- 1937
Fatu Hiva
Lived on the island with his first wife Liv.
- 1947
Pacific crossing
Led six men from Peru to Polynesia on a balsa raft.
- 1955–1956
Easter Island research
Organised archaeological investigations on Rapa Nui.
- 1970s
Further ocean voyages
Led reed-boat expeditions across the Atlantic and through the Indian Ocean region.
Selected work
The Kon-Tiki Expedition
His account brought the voyage to a worldwide readership.
Ra II
Crossed the Atlantic in a papyrus-reed boat.
Tigris
Sailed a reed vessel to investigate ancient maritime connections.
Beyond work
Limits of the argument
A successful crossing did not establish his proposed origins of Polynesian settlement.
Environmental protest
Burned Tigris in Djibouti in protest against warfare in the surrounding region.
Sources & photo credit
Wikipedia biography and references ↗Further biography and career ↗Photo: uncredited. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
