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16.7.1872-18.6.1928
ROALD AMUNDSENAmundsen "conquers" the South PoleOn 14 December 1911, the Norwegian polar researcher, Roald Amundsen (16.7.1872-18.6.1928), became the first person to reach the South Pole, ending one of the most ambitious races in history. When the Amundsen expedition started in 1909, the actual destination was the North Pole. When he found out on the way that the American, Edwin Peary, had already reached the North Pole, he turned around and directed his team towards the South Pole. This "turnaround" proved to be the right decision. It started a race with the expedition led by the Englishman, Robert F. Scott, with Amundsen choosing a route through a totally unknown region which was 150 kilometres shorter. The huskies pulling the Norwegian’s sledge proved to be the better “drive unit”. The Englishman’s motorised sledges and teams of ponies could not endure the icy cold and did not reach their destination until one month later. Scott and his team met their deaths in the snowstorms that hit the South Pole. It is presumed that Amundsen died in as the result of a plane crash in the Arctic in 1928. His aircraft "Latham" has never been found. Amundsen’s Name The South Pole Station and a lake in the Antarctic Ocean have been named after him and his rivals. Even one of the larger craters at the south pole of the Moon bears his name. |
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