Meet the Legends of Antarctic Exploration
Roald Amundsen left his mark on the Heroic Era as one of the most successful polar explorers ever born. He led the 1910–12 Antarctic expedition which was the first to reach the South Pole, on 14 December 1911. He was the first to traverse the Northwest Passage (1903–06) in the Arctic and he is recognized [...]
Liv Arnesen (1953 – ) Liv Ragnheim Arnesen is a Norwegian educator, adventurer, guide, and motivational speaker. In 1994, she made international headlines becoming the first woman in the world to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole – a 50-day expedition of 745 miles (1,200 km). Along with Ann Bancroft, she also holds [...]
Col. Jatinder Kumar (JK) Bajaj, a mechanical engineer and seasoned mountaineer, was the first Indian (and the first Asian) to reach the South Pole. In 1988-89, as part of an eleven member international team, Col Bajaj skied 750 miles (1200 km) over 50 days across an uncharted Antarctic route; and on 17 January 1989, hoisted [...]
Ann Bancroft is an American educator, explorer, environmentalist and leader, who is dedicated to inspiring women and girls to unleash the power of their dreams. She was the first woman to ski to both the North and South Pole and, along with Liv Arnesen, the first women to ski and sail across Antarctica’s landmass. Ann [...]
Fabian von Bellingshausen was a Russian naval officer who led the Russian naval expedition 1819-1921, in search of Terra Australis. His ship was the first to cross the Antarctic circle since Captain Cook in 1773; he circumnavigated Antarctica; and was the first person to sight the Antarctic continent. His orders were to explore as far [...]
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Jr., USN was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. He undertook five expeditions to Antarctica and made the first-ever flight over the South Pole on November 28, 1929. Byrd was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for heroism given by the [...]
Apsley Cherry-Garrard was a member of Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition (1910–13). His account of the expedition, The Worst Journey in the World, is a classic and has been acclaimed as the greatest true adventure story ever written. ‘Cherry’ was born a privileged member of the English upper-class. He attended Oxford University, where he [...]
Artur Chilingarov is a Russian polar scientist and esteemed polar explorer, whose extensive career has seen him head up a number of high profile projects and expeditions in both the Arctic and Antarctic, including the first-ever dive to the North Pole ocean floor. Chilingarov began his career as an engineer-oceanographer in the mid-1960’s at the [...]
Thomas “Tom” Crean, nicknamed the “Irish Giant”, was an Irish seaman and Antarctic explorer. He was a member of three major expeditions to Antarctica during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, including Captain Scott’s 1911–13 Terra Nova Expedition, during which he made a 35 mile (56 km) solo walk across the Ross Ice Shelf to [...]
Baron Adrien Victor Joseph de Gerlache de Gomery was an officer in the Belgian Royal Navy who led the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–99 (BAE). The BAE was the first expedition to overwinter within the Antarctic Circle, after the ship was icebound in the Bellingshausen Sea. It collected the first annual cycle of Antarctic observations, [...]