List of Arctic expeditions
Encyclopedia
This list of Arctic expeditions is a timeline of historic expeditions in, and explorers of, the Arctic
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Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
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Pre-expedition
- Inuit, Greek, and Viking voyages in the far north ( Faroes/GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
/Novaya ZemlyaNovaya ZemlyaNovaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
)
1400s
- 1496 Russian G. Istoma venturing out of the White Sea explores Murman CoastMurman CoastThe Murman Coast is a coastal area in Murmansk Oblast in northwest Russia. It is located on the southern side of the Barents Sea, between the Norway–Russia border and Cape Svyatoy Nos...
and coast of northern Norway, also western coast of Novaya Zemlya - 1497 Russians D. Zaytsev and D. Ralev venturing out of the White Sea follow route of G. Istoma
1500s
- 1553 English expedition piloted by Richard ChancellorRichard ChancellorRichard Chancellor was an English explorer and navigator; the first to penetrate to the White Sea and establish relations with Russia....
searches for the North-east Passage - 1575–77 English expeditions led by Martin FrobisherMartin FrobisherSir Martin Frobisher was an English seaman who made three voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage...
reaches Baffin IslandBaffin IslandBaffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000... - 1585–87 English expeditions led by John DavisJohn Davis (English explorer)John Davis , was one of the chief English navigators and explorers under Elizabeth I, especially in Polar regions and in the Far East.-Early life:...
explore the Davis StraitDavis StraitDavis Strait is a northern arm of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Nunavut, Canada's Baffin Island. The strait was named for the English explorer John Davis , who explored the area while seeking a Northwest Passage....
-Baffin BayBaffin BayBaffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
region and reaches UpernavikUpernavikUpernavik is a small town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,129 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the thirteenth-largest town in Greenland. Due to the small size of the settlement, everything is within walking distance... - 1596–97 Dutch expedition piloted by Willem Barentsz discovers SpitsbergenSpitsbergenSpitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
1600s
- 1605–07 Danish expeditionsChristian IV's Expeditions to GreenlandChristian IV's Expeditions was a series of expeditions in the years 1605-1607 to Greenland and Arctic waterways sent by King Christian IV of Denmark in order to locate the lost Eastern Norse Settlement and assert Danish sovereignty over Greenland....
led by John Cunningham (explorer)John Cunningham (explorer)John Cunningham was a Scottish explorer who served under the Danish flag. He is most noted for his role in King Christian IV's Expeditions to GreenlandIn Denmark he was known as Hans Køning. In 1603 he became a captain in the Danish navy...
, Godske LindenovGodske LindenovGodske Christoffersen Lindenov was a Danish naval offiver and Arctic explorer. He is most noted for his role in King Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland...
and Carsten RichardsonCarsten RichardsonCarsten Richardson was an early 17th century Holsteinian-Danish naval officer and Arctic explorer. He is most noted for his role in King Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland....
, all piloted by James HallJames Hall (explorer)James Hall was an English explorer. In Denmark, he was known as Jacob Hald. He piloted three of King Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland under John Cunningham , Godske Lindenov , and Carsten Richardson . In his first voyage he charted the west coast of Greenland as far north as 68° 35' N...
, search for the lost Medieval Norse colonies in GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for... - 1607 Henry HudsonHenry HudsonHenry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
explores Spitsbergen - 1610 Jonas PooleJonas PooleJonas Poole was an early 17th century English explorer, sealer, and whaler. Although Henry Hudson has often been dubbed the "father of English whaling," Poole, who's 1610 voyage led to the establishment of the English whaling trade, deserves the title.-Voyages to Bear Island, 1604-1609:He served...
thoroughly explores Spitsbergen's west coast, reporting that he saw a "great store of whales"; this report leads to the establishment of the English whalingWhalingWhaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
trade. - 1610 Russian K. Kurochkin explores mouth of the Yenesei River and adjoining coast
- 1612 James HallJames Hall (explorer)James Hall was an English explorer. In Denmark, he was known as Jacob Hald. He piloted three of King Christian IV's Expeditions to Greenland under John Cunningham , Godske Lindenov , and Carsten Richardson . In his first voyage he charted the west coast of Greenland as far north as 68° 35' N...
and William BaffinWilliam BaffinWilliam Baffin was an English navigator and explorer. Nothing is known of his early life, but it is conjectured that he was born in London of humble origin, and gradually raised himself by his diligence and perseverance...
explores Southwest Greenland - 1613 Several whaling expeditions, consisting of a total of at least thirty ships, from England, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
crowd Spitsbergen's west coast. - 1614 Dutch and FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
expeditions discover Jan MayenJan MayenJan Mayen Island is a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and part of the Kingdom of Norway. It is long and 373 km2 in area, partly covered by glaciers . It has two parts: larger northeast Nord-Jan and smaller Sør-Jan, linked by an isthmus wide... - 1615 Robert FotherbyRobert FotherbyRobert Fotherby was an early 17th century English explorer and whaler. From 1613 to 1615 he worked for the Muscovy Company, and from 1615 until his death for the East India Company.-Family Ties:...
, in the pinnace Richard, is the first English expedition to reach Jan Mayen - 1616 English expedition piloted by William BaffinWilliam BaffinWilliam Baffin was an English navigator and explorer. Nothing is known of his early life, but it is conjectured that he was born in London of humble origin, and gradually raised himself by his diligence and perseverance...
explores Davis Strait-Baffin Bay region - 1619–20 Danish expedition led by Jens MunkJens MunkJens Munk was a Danish navigator and explorer who was born in Norway where his father, Erik Munk, had received several fiefs for his achievements in the Northern Seven Years' War. He returned to Denmark at the age of eight...
in Unicorn and Lamprey to discover the Northwest PassageNorthwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
penetrated Davis StraitDavis StraitDavis Strait is a northern arm of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Nunavut, Canada's Baffin Island. The strait was named for the English explorer John Davis , who explored the area while seeking a Northwest Passage....
as far north as 69°, found Frobisher BayFrobisher BayFrobisher Bay is a relatively large inlet of the Labrador Sea in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island...
, spent a winter in Hudson BayHudson BayHudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
. - 1648 Semyon Dezhnyov and Fedot Alekseyev explore from the Kolyma River through the Bering StraitBering StraitThe Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
- 1686-1687 The Bezvestnaya Expedition explores the coast of Taymyr Peninsula
1700s
- Vitus BeringVitus BeringVitus Jonassen Bering Vitus Jonassen Bering Vitus Jonassen Bering (also, less correNavy]], a captain-komandor known among the Russian sailors as Ivan Ivanovich. He is noted for being the first European to discover Alaska and its Aleutian Islands...
- 1733–43 Great Northern ExpeditionGreat Northern ExpeditionThe Great Northern Expedition or Second Kamchatka expedition was one of the largest organised exploration enterprises in history, resulting in mapping of the most of the Arctic coast of Siberia and some parts of the North America coastline, greatly reducing the "white areas" on the maps...
/ Second Kamchatka expedition - 1751–53 Peder Olsen WalløePeder Olsen WalløePeder Olsen Walløe was a Dano-Norwegian Arctic explorer most noted for his historic exploration of the former Norse settlements on Greenland.-Biography:...
explores the east coast of Greenland from Cape FarewellCape FarewellCape Farewell can mean:* Cape Farewell, New Zealand, northernmost point of the South Island.* Cape Farewell, Greenland, southernmost point in the territory of Greenland....
in umiakUmiakThe umiak, umialak, umiaq, umiac, oomiac or oomiak is a type of boat used by Eskimo people, both Yupik and Inuit, and was originally found in all coastal areas from Siberia to Greenland. First arising in Thule times, it has traditionally been used in summer to move people and possessions to...
s
1800s
- 1818 Royal Navy expedition led by Captain David BuchanDavid BuchanDavid Buchan was a Scottish naval officer and Arctic explorer.-Exploration:In 1806, Buchan was appointed as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and from about 1808 to 1817 he operated in and around Newfoundland...
- 1818 Royal Navy expedition led by John RossJohn Ross (Arctic explorer)Sir John Ross, CB, was a Scottish rear admiral and Arctic explorer.Ross was the son of the Rev. Andrew Ross, minister of Inch, near Stranraer in Scotland. In 1786, aged only nine, he joined the Royal Navy as an apprentice. He served in the Mediterranean until 1789 and then in the English Channel...
to search for the Northwest PassageNorthwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
extended a far north along the west coast of Greenland as PituffikPituffikPituffik is a former settlement in northern Greenland, located at the current site of the American Thule Air Base. The former inhabitants were relocated to the present-day town of Qaanaaq...
and met the Kap York-InuitInuktunInuktun is the language of approximately 1000 indigenous Inughuit, inhabiting the world's northernmost settlements in Qaanaaq and the surrounding villages in northwestern Greenland. All speakers of Inuktun also speak Standard West Greenlandic and many also speak Danish and a few also English... - 1819 Royal Navy expedition aboard HMS HeclaHMS Hecla (1815)HMS Hecla was a Royal Navy Hecla-class bomb vessel of 372 tons. Launched on 15 July 1815, she saw wartime service in an attack on Barbary pirates at Algiers in August, 1816...
and HMS Griper led by William Edward ParryWilliam Edward ParrySir William Edward Parry was an English rear-admiral and Arctic explorer, who in 1827 attempted one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole... - 1822 William ScoresbyWilliam ScoresbyWilliam Scoresby , was an English Arctic explorer, scientist and clergyman.-Early years:Scoresby was born in the village of Cropton near Pickering 26 miles south of Whitby in Yorkshire. His father, William Scoresby , made a fortune in the Arctic whale fishery...
lands in East Greenland near the mouth of the fjord system that would later be named for him – Scoresby SundScoresby SundScoresby Sund is an inlet system of the Greenland Sea on the eastern coast of Greenland. It has a tree-like structure, with a main body approximately long that branches into a system of fjords covering an area of about . The longest of these extends 340–350 km in from the coastline...
. - 1823 Douglas Charles Clavering and Edward SabineEdward SabineGeneral Sir Edward Sabine KCB FRS was an Irish astronomer, geophysicist, ornithologist and explorer.Two branches of Sabine's work in particular deserve very high credit: Determination of the length of the seconds pendulum, a simple pendulum whose time period on the surface of the Earth is two...
explores East Greenland northwards to Clavering IslandClavering IslandClavering Island is a large island in eastern Greenland, to the west of Wollaston Foreland. It was named by the second German North Polar Expedition 1869–70 as Clavering Insel to commemorate Douglas Charles Clavering , commander of the Griper on the 1823 voyage, which explored the area and, at the...
, where they get in contact with the now extinct Northeast Greenland Inuit. - 1828–30 Danish expedition led by W. A. GraahWilhelm August GraahWilhelm August Graah was a Danish naval officer and Arctic explorer. Graah had mapped areas of West Greenland when he, in 1828-30, was sent on an expedition to the uninhabited eastern coast with the purpose to search for the lost Eastern Norse Settlement...
tries to locate the lost Norse colonies in Southeast Greenland, but does not reach Ammassalik Island. - 1829–33 Royal Navy expedition led by John RossJohn Ross (Arctic explorer)Sir John Ross, CB, was a Scottish rear admiral and Arctic explorer.Ross was the son of the Rev. Andrew Ross, minister of Inch, near Stranraer in Scotland. In 1786, aged only nine, he joined the Royal Navy as an apprentice. He served in the Mediterranean until 1789 and then in the English Channel...
to search for the Northwest PassageNorthwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
discovered James Ross StraitJames Ross StraitJames Ross Strait, an arm of the Arctic Ocean, is a channel between King William Island and the Boothia Peninsula in the Canadian province of Nunavut. long, and to wide, it connects M'Clintock Channel to the Rae Strait to the south...
and King William Land, located the magnetic north pole at 70°05′N 96°44′W - 1827 Royal Navy expedition led by William Edward ParryWilliam Edward ParrySir William Edward Parry was an English rear-admiral and Arctic explorer, who in 1827 attempted one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole...
- 1833–35 Royal Navy expedition led by Captain George BackGeorge BackAdmiral Sir George Back FRS was a British naval officer, explorer of the Canadian Arctic , naturalist and artist.-Career:...
- 1838–40 La Recherche Expedition (1838-1840)
- 1845 Franklin's lost expeditionFranklin's lost expeditionFranklin's lost expedition was a doomed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845. A Royal Navy officer and experienced explorer, Franklin had served on three previous Arctic expeditions, the latter two as commanding officer...
led by Sir John Franklin searches for the Northwest PassageNorthwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
. - 1848 Rae-Richardson Arctic ExpeditionRae-Richardson Arctic ExpeditionThe Rae-Richardson Polar Expedition of 1848 was an early British effort to determine the fate of the lost Franklin Polar Expedition. Led overland by Sir John Richardson and John Rae, the team explored the accessible areas along Franklin's proposed route near the Mackenzie and Coppermine rivers...
searched overland for Franklin's lost expeditionFranklin's lost expeditionFranklin's lost expedition was a doomed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845. A Royal Navy officer and experienced explorer, Franklin had served on three previous Arctic expeditions, the latter two as commanding officer...
. - 1850 McClure Arctic ExpeditionMcClure Arctic ExpeditionThe McClure Arctic Expedition of 1850, among numerous British search efforts to determine the fate of the Franklin's lost expedition, is distinguished as the voyage during which Robert McClure became the first person to confirm and transit the Northwest Passage by a combination of sea travel and...
led by Robert McClureRobert McClureSir Robert John Le Mesurier McClure was an Irish explorer of the Arctic.In 1854, he was the first to transit the Northwest Passage , as well as the first to circumnavigate the Americas.-Early life and career:He was born at Wexford, in Ireland, the posthumous son of one of Abercrombie's captains,...
, a British search for the members of Franklin's lost expeditionFranklin's lost expeditionFranklin's lost expedition was a doomed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845. A Royal Navy officer and experienced explorer, Franklin had served on three previous Arctic expeditions, the latter two as commanding officer...
. - 1850–51 First Grinnell ExpeditionFirst Grinnell ExpeditionThe First Grinnell Expedition of 1850 was the first American effort, financed by Henry Grinnell, to determine the fate of the lost Franklin Polar Expedition. Led by Lieutenant Edwin De Haven, the...
led by Edwin DeHaven, first American search for the members of Franklin's lost expeditionFranklin's lost expeditionFranklin's lost expedition was a doomed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845. A Royal Navy officer and experienced explorer, Franklin had served on three previous Arctic expeditions, the latter two as commanding officer...
. - 1852 Edward Augustus InglefieldEdward Augustus InglefieldSir Edward Augustus Inglefield was a Royal Naval officer who led one of the searches for the missing Arctic explorer John Franklin during the 1850s. In doing so, his expedition charted previously unexplored areas along the northern Canadian coastline, including Baffin Bay, Smith Sound and...
sets out to search for Franklin's ill-fated expedition - 1853–55 American expeditionSecond Grinnell ExpeditionThe Second Grinnell Expedition of 1853 was an American effort, financed by Henry Grinnell, to determine the fate of the Franklin's lost expedition. Led by Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, the team explored areas northwest of Greenland, now called Grinnell Land...
led by Elisha Kent Kane - 1857–59 British expeditionMcClintock Arctic ExpeditionThe McClintock Arctic Expedition of 1857 was a British effort to locate the last remains of the lost Franklin Arctic Expedition. Led by captain Francis Leopold McClintock aboard the steam yacht Fox, the expedition spent two years in the region and ultimately returned with the only written message...
led by Francis Leopold McClintockFrancis Leopold McClintockAdmiral Sir Francis Leopold McClintock or Francis Leopold M'Clintock KCB, FRS was an Irish explorer in the British Royal Navy who is known for his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.-Biography:... - 1860–61 American expedition led by Isaac Israel HayesIsaac Israel HayesIsaac Israel Hayes was an Arctic explorer and physician.Hayes was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania. After completing his medical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Hayes signed on as ship's surgeon for an 1853-5 expedition led by Elisha Kent Kane to search for John Franklin...
- 1860–62 First expedition led by Charles Francis HallCharles Francis HallCharles Francis Hall was an American Arctic explorer. Little is known of Hall's early life. He was born in the state of Vermont, but while he was still a child his family moved to Rochester, New Hampshire, where, as a boy, he was apprenticed to a blacksmith. In the 1840s he married and drifted...
(USA) - 1864–69 Second expedition led by Charles Francis HallCharles Francis HallCharles Francis Hall was an American Arctic explorer. Little is known of Hall's early life. He was born in the state of Vermont, but while he was still a child his family moved to Rochester, New Hampshire, where, as a boy, he was apprenticed to a blacksmith. In the 1840s he married and drifted...
- 1868 First German North Polar ExpeditionGerman North Polar ExpeditionGerman North Polar Expedition was a short series of mid-19th century German expeditions to the Arctic. The aim was to explore the North Polar Region and to brand the newly united, Prussian-led German Empire as a great power...
led by Carl KoldeweyCarl KoldeweyCarl Christian Koldewey was a German Arctic explorer. He led both German North Polar Expeditions.-Life and career:...
along the east coast of Greenland - 1869–70 Second German North Polar Expedition (Germania and Hansa)German North Polar ExpeditionGerman North Polar Expedition was a short series of mid-19th century German expeditions to the Arctic. The aim was to explore the North Polar Region and to brand the newly united, Prussian-led German Empire as a great power...
led by Carl KoldeweyCarl KoldeweyCarl Christian Koldewey was a German Arctic explorer. He led both German North Polar Expeditions.-Life and career:...
reaches Sabine IslandSabine IslandSabine Island is an island to the northeast of Wollaston Foreland, previously known as Inner Pendulum Island. It was named by the Second German North Polar Expedition 1869–70 as Sabine Insel for Edward Sabine, who carried out pendulum experiments on the island in 1823.Sabine Island is 16 km long...
. - 1871–73 Third expedition led by Charles Francis HallCharles Francis HallCharles Francis Hall was an American Arctic explorer. Little is known of Hall's early life. He was born in the state of Vermont, but while he was still a child his family moved to Rochester, New Hampshire, where, as a boy, he was apprenticed to a blacksmith. In the 1840s he married and drifted...
: Polaris expeditionPolaris expeditionThe Polaris expedition was led by the American Charles Francis Hall, who intended it to be the first expedition to reach the North Pole. Sponsored by the United States government, it was one of the first serious attempts at the Pole, after that of British naval officer William Edward Parry, who in... - 1872–74 Austro-Hungarian North Pole ExpeditionAustro-Hungarian North Pole ExpeditionThe Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition was an expedition that ran from 1872–74 and discovered Franz-Josef Land. According to Julius von Payer, one of the leaders, the journey was to find the north-eastern passage. It actually explored the area northwest of Novaya Zemlya. According to the...
led by Captain Karl WeyprechtKarl WeyprechtKarl Weyprecht, also spelt Carl Weyprecht, was an Austro-Hungarian explorer. He was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He is most famous as an Arctic explorer, and an advocate of international cooperation for scientific polar exploration... - 1875–76 British Arctic ExpeditionBritish Arctic ExpeditionThe British Arctic Expedition of 1875-1876, led by Sir George Strong Nares, was sent by the British Admiralty to attempt to reach the North Pole via Smith Sound. Two ships, HMS Alert and HMS Discovery , sailed from Portsmouth on 29 May 1875...
led by Captain George NaresGeorge NaresVice-Admiral Sir George Strong Nares KCB FRS was a British naval officer and Arctic explorer. He commanded both the Challenger Expedition and the British Arctic Expedition, and was highly thought of a leader and a scientific explorer... - 1878 J. A. D. JensenJ. A. D. JensenJens Arnold Diderich Jensen - November 24, 1936 in Copenhagen) was a Danish naval officer and Arctic explorer. He assisted the geological exploration along the Greenland west coast. He is particularly renowned for his explorations of the inland ice sheet. He led an expedition that discovered...
explores the inland ice sheeth from West Greenland - 1878-1881 different voyages with Dutch polar schooner Willem Barents in the area around SpitsbergenSpitsbergenSpitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
and Nova ZemblaNova ZemblaNova Zembla may refer to:* Nova Zembla Island, Nunavut, Canada* Nova Zembla , a 2011 Dutch film* Nova Zembla , a Belgian electronic music label-See also:...
, organised by Geographical Society of Amsterdam. Goals were 1) placing memorial stones for 17th century Dutch discoveries and 2) scientific research. - 1878–79 Swedish expedition in Vega, led by Adolf Erik NordenskiöldAdolf Erik NordenskiöldFreiherr Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld , also known as A. E. Nordenskioeld was a Finnish baron, geologist, mineralogist and arctic explorer of Finnish-Swedish origin. He was a member of the prominent Finland-Swedish Nordenskiöld family of scientists...
- 1879–82 USS JeanetteUSS Jeannette (1878)The first USS Jeannette was originally HMS Pandora, a Philomel-class gunvessel of the Royal Navy, and was purchased in 1875 by Sir Allen Young for his arctic voyages in 1875-1876. The ship was purchased in 1878 by James Gordon Bennett, Jr., owner of the New York Herald; and renamed Jeannette...
expedition with Lt. George Washington De Long (commander) and George W. MelvilleGeorge W. MelvilleGeorge Wallace Melville was an engineer of the United States Navy who became a rear admiral.-Civil War:Melville was born in New York City on 10 January 1841. After graduating from Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute, he entered the U.S...
(chief engineer) - 1881–84 Lady Franklin Bay ExpeditionLady Franklin Bay ExpeditionThe 1881-1884 Lady Franklin Bay Expedition into the Canadian Arctic was led by Lt. Adolphus Greely and was promoted by the United States Army Signal Corps. Its purpose was threefold: to establish a meteorological-observation station as part of the First International Polar Year, to collect...
, US Army expedition led by Adolphus GreelyAdolphus GreelyAdolphus Washington Greely , was an American Polar explorer, a United States Army officer and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.-Early military career:... - 1882–1883 (First International Polar Year) Danish Dijmphna expedition to the territory between RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the North PoleNorth PoleThe North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface... - 1883–85 Umiak Expedition led by Gustav HolmGustav Frederik Holmright|thumb|400px|Gustav Holm at [[Qaqortoq]], Greenland, in 1894, when he was captain of the steamer HvidbjørnenGustav Frederik Holm was a Danish naval officer and Arctic explorer, born at Copenhagen...
and Thomas Vilhelm Garde along the southeastern coast of Greenland in the shallow waters between the coast and the sea ice. - 1883 Failed attempt by Nordenskiöld to cross GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
from the west - 1886 Failed attempt by Robert E PearyRobert PearyRobert Edwin Peary, Sr. was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole...
(USA) to cross Greenland - 1888 First successful crossing of the Greenland inland ice by Norwegian expedition led by Fridtjof NansenFridtjof NansenFridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
(from east to west) - 1891–92 The East Greenland Expedition on the Hekla led by Carl RyderCarl Ryderthumb|right|200px|The schooner Fylla in Copenhagen harbourCarl Hartvig Ryder was a Danish naval officer and Arctic explorer.He was a member of several expeditions:...
fails to get through the sea ice of East Greenland, but explores the Scoresby SundScoresby SundScoresby Sund is an inlet system of the Greenland Sea on the eastern coast of Greenland. It has a tree-like structure, with a main body approximately long that branches into a system of fjords covering an area of about . The longest of these extends 340–350 km in from the coastline...
system in detail - 1891–92 Third US Greenland expedition led by Peary
- 1892 Swedish expeditionBjörling-Kallstenius ExpeditionThe Björling-Kallstenius Expedition of 1892 was led by the Swedish naturalists Alfred Björling and Evald Kallstenius, with the aim of being the first men to reach the North Pole. The men purchased the schooner Ripple in St. John's, Newfoundland, hiring three crew...
led by Alfred Björling - 1893–95 Fourth US Greenland expedition led by Peary
- 1893–96 Norwegian expeditionNansen's Fram expeditionNansen's Fram expedition, 1893–1896, was an attempt by the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen to reach the geographical North Pole by harnessing the natural east–west current of the Arctic Ocean...
by Fridtjof NansenFridtjof NansenFridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
and Hjalmar JohansenHjalmar JohansenFredrik Hjalmar Johansen was a polar explorer from Norway. He shipped out with Fridtjof Nansen's Fram expedition in 1893–1896, and accompanied Nansen to notch a new Farthest North record near the North Pole on what was then the frozen Arctic Ocean...
on the FramFramFram is a ship that was used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912...
and overland - 1894–97 Jackson-Harmsworth ExpeditionJackson-Harmsworth ExpeditionThe Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz Josef Land, 1894–97, was led by British Arctic explorer Frederick George Jackson and financed by newspaper proprietor Alfred Harmsworth. Jackson had been misled by false maps into believing that Franz Joseph Land was a land mass that extended to...
, led by Frederick George JacksonFrederick George JacksonFrederick George Jackson , British Arctic explorer, was educated at Denstone College and Edinburgh University.-Biography:... - 1897 S. A. Andrée's Arctic balloon expeditionS. A. Andrée's Arctic balloon expedition of 1897S. A. Andrée's Arctic balloon expedition of 1897 was an ill-fated effort to reach the North Pole in which all three expedition members perished. S. A. Andrée , the first Swedish balloonist, proposed a voyage by hydrogen balloon from Svalbard to either Russia or Canada, which was to pass,...
- 1898–1902 Second Fram voyage under Otto SverdrupOtto SverdrupOtto Neumann Knoph Sverdrup was a Norwegian sailor and Arctic explorer.-Early and personal life:...
- 1898–1900 The Carlsbergfund Expedition to East Greenland led by G. C. Amdrup explores the Blosseville CoastBlosseville CoastThe Blosseville Coast is a stretch of coast in southeastern Greenland between the fjord Kangerdlugsuaqq 68°N 32°W and Cape Brewster at the entrance to Scoresby Sound at 70° 10'N 22°W....
- 1899 Alfred Gabriel NathorstAlfred Gabriel NathorstAlfred Gabriel Nathorst was a Swedish Arctic explorer, geologist and palaeobotanist. Nathorst was born in Väderbrunn outside Nyköping and died in Stockholm.-Biography:He was born on November 7, 1850....
explores the fjords of Northeast Greenland, in particular the King Oscar FjordKing Oscar FjordKing Oscar Fjord is a fjord in East Greenland, marking the northern border of the peninsula Scoresby Land. It is a major fjord, 10–25 km wide, bounded by Traill Island and Geographical Society Island. In the inner and northern end of the fjord lies Ella Island. Lyell Land and Stauning's Alps lie to...
system - 1899 Attempt to ski to North Pole from Franz Josef LandFranz Josef LandFranz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
by Walter WellmanWalter WellmanWalter Wellman was an American journalist, explorer, and aëronaut, born at Mentor, Ohio, and educated in the public schools.- Biographical background :... - 1899–1900 Italian North Pole expedition led by Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the AbruzziLuigi Amedeo, Duke of the AbruzziPrince Luigi Amedeo Giuseppe Maria Ferdinando Francesco di Savoia-Aosta , Duke of the Abruzzi , was an Italian nobleman, mountaineer and explorer of the royal House of Savoy...
on the ship Stella Polare
1900s
- 1900–03 Russian ship ZaryaZarya (polar ship)Zarya was a steam- and sail-powered brig used by the Russian Academy of Sciences for a polar exploration during 1900–1903.Toward the end of the 19th century, the Russian Academy of Sciences sought to build a general-purpose research vessel for long-term expeditions. The first such Russian...
- 1901–02 First North Pole expedition financed by US industrialist William Ziegler, led by Evelyn Baldwin
- 1902–04 The Literary Expedition led by Ludvig Mylius-ErichsenLudvig Mylius-ErichsenLudvig Mylius-Erichsen was a Danish author, ethnologist, and explorer, from Ringkøbing. He was most notably an explorer of Greenland. With Count Harald Moltke and Knud Rasmussen he formed the Danish Literary expedition to West Greenland, and in the early stages discovered near Evigheds Fiord two...
together with Knud Rasmussen explores the Northwest Greenland coast between Uumanaq and ThuleThuleThule Greek: Θούλη, Thoulē), also spelled Thula, Thila, or Thyïlea, is, in classical European literature and maps, a region in the far north. Though often considered to be an island in antiquity, modern interpretations of what was meant by Thule often identify it as Norway. Other interpretations... - 1903–05 Ziegler Polar ExpeditionZiegler Polar ExpeditionThe Ziegler polar expedition of 1903–1905 was a failed attempt to reach the North Pole. The party remained stranded north of the Arctic Circle for two years before being rescued, yet all but one of its members survived. The expedition, funded by William Ziegler and led by Anthony Fiala, departed...
overland, led by Anthony FialaAnthony FialaAnthony Fiala was an American explorer, born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and educated at Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design, New York City... - 1905–06 North Pole expedition led by Peary, from Ellesmere IslandEllesmere IslandEllesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
- 1906–08 The Danmark Expedition led by Ludvig Mylius-ErichsenLudvig Mylius-ErichsenLudvig Mylius-Erichsen was a Danish author, ethnologist, and explorer, from Ringkøbing. He was most notably an explorer of Greenland. With Count Harald Moltke and Knud Rasmussen he formed the Danish Literary expedition to West Greenland, and in the early stages discovered near Evigheds Fiord two...
reaches NordostrundingenNordostrundingenNordostrundingen , is a headland located at the northeastern end of the island of Greenland. At 11°19'W it is the most easterly point of land in both the Americas...
, but ends fatally - 1906, 1907, 1909 The airship AmericaAmerica (airship)The America was a non-rigid airship built by Mutin Godard in France in 1906 for Walter Wellman's attempt to reach the North Pole by air. Wellman had been inspired to fly to the pole during a failed overland attempt in 1893. When he saw a French dirigible at the Portsmouth Peace Conference in 1905,...
and Walter WellmanWalter WellmanWalter Wellman was an American journalist, explorer, and aëronaut, born at Mentor, Ohio, and educated in the public schools.- Biographical background :... - 1906–08 Anglo-American Polar Expedition (MikkelsenEjnar MikkelsenEjnar Mikkelsen , was a Danish polar explorer and author, born in Jutland. He served in the Georg Carl Amdrup expedition to Christian IX Land, East Greenland , and in the Baldwin-Ziegler expedition to Franz Joseph Land .With Ernest de Koven Leffingwell he organized the Anglo-American polar...
-LeffingwellErnest de Koven LeffingwellErnest de Koven Leffingwell was an arctic explorer, geologist and Spanish-American War veteran.During the period from 1906 to 1914, Leffingwell spent 9 summers and 6 winters on the Arctic coast of Alaska, making 31 trips by dog sled and/or small boats. He created the first accurate map of a large...
Expedition) - 1907–09 US North Pole expedition led by Frederick CookFrederick CookFrederick Albert Cook was an American explorer and physician, noted for his claim of having reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908. This would have been a year before April 6, 1909, the date claimed by Robert Peary....
- 1909–12 The Alabama Expedition to Northeast Greenland led by Ejnar MikkelsenEjnar MikkelsenEjnar Mikkelsen , was a Danish polar explorer and author, born in Jutland. He served in the Georg Carl Amdrup expedition to Christian IX Land, East Greenland , and in the Baldwin-Ziegler expedition to Franz Joseph Land .With Ernest de Koven Leffingwell he organized the Anglo-American polar...
in an operation to recover bodies and logs of the fatal Danmark expedition - 1908–09 expedition led by Robert PearyRobert PearyRobert Edwin Peary, Sr. was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole...
- 1910–15 Russian Arctic Ocean Hydrographic Expedition in TaymyrIcebreaker TaymyrIcebreaker Taymyr was an icebreaking steamer of 1200 tons built for the Russian Imperial Navy at St. Petersburg in 1909. It was named after the Taymyr Peninsula....
and VaigachIcebreaker VaygachIcebreaker Vaygach was an icebreaking steamer of moderate size built for the Russian Imperial Navy at St. Petersburg in 1909. It was named after Vaygach Island in the Russian Arctic.... - 1912 First Thule Expedition – Knud Rasmussen and Peter FreuchenPeter FreuchenPeter Freuchen, born Lorenz Peter Elfred Freuchen was a Danish explorer, author, journalist and anthropologist.-Biography:...
explores North Greenland - 1912–13 J.P. Koch crosses the inland ice in North Greenland
- 1913 Crocker Land ExpeditionCrocker Land ExpeditionThe Crocker Land Expedition was an ill-fated 1913 expedition to investigate Crocker Land, a huge island supposedly sighted by the explorer Robert Peary from the top of Cape Colgate in 1906...
- 1913–14 Russian expedition aboard Foka, led by Georgiy Sedov
- 1913–18 Canadian Arctic Expedition 1913-1916Canadian Arctic Expedition 1913-1916The Canadian Arctic Expedition 1913–1916 was organized and led by Vilhjalmur Stefansson. The expedition was divided into a Northern Party led by Stefansson, and a Southern Party led by R M. Anderson. The objective of the Northern Party was to explore for new land north and west of the known lands...
led by Vilhjalmur StefanssonVilhjalmur StefanssonVilhjalmur Stefansson was a Canadian Arctic explorer and ethnologist.-Early life:Stefansson, born William Stephenson, was born at Gimli, Manitoba, Canada, in 1879. His parents had emigrated from Iceland to Manitoba two years earlier...
, initially in the KarlukKarluk (ship)The last voyage of HMCS Karluk, flagship of the Canadian Arctic Expedition,ended with the loss of the ship and the subsequent deaths of nearly half her complement. On her outward voyage in August 1913 Karluk, a brigantine formerly used as a whaler, became trapped in the Arctic ice while sailing to... - 1916–18 Second Thule Expedition – Knud Rasmussen and Peter FreuchenPeter FreuchenPeter Freuchen, born Lorenz Peter Elfred Freuchen was a Danish explorer, author, journalist and anthropologist.-Biography:...
explores North Greenland and establishes that Peary LandPeary LandPeary Land is a peninsula in northern Greenland, extending into the Arctic Ocean. It reaches from Victoria Fjord in the west to Independence Fjord in the south and southeast, and to the Arctic Ocean in the north, with Cape Morris Jesup, the northernmost point of Greenland's mainland, and Cape...
is not an island - 1919 Third Thule Expedition – Knud Rasmussen explores North Greenland and lays out depots for Roald AmundsenRoald AmundsenRoald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
's polar drift in Maud - 1919–20 Fourth Thule Expedition – Knud Rasmussen explores East Greenland
- 1921–23 Bicentenary Jubilee Expedition (commemorating Hans EgedeHans EgedeHans Poulsen Egede was a Norwegian-Danish Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inuit and is credited with revitalizing Dano-Norwegian interest in the island after contact...
's landing in Greenland) led by Lauge KochLauge KochLauge Koch was a Danish geologist and Arctic explorer.He was the renowned leader of 24 Danish government expeditions to Greenland, and the central character in the Lauge Koch Controversy, an international and intra-national conflict...
explores North Greenland - 1921–24 Fifth Thule Expedition led by Knud Rasmussen crossed the Northwest PassageNorthwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
on dog sledges from ThuleThuleThule Greek: Θούλη, Thoulē), also spelled Thula, Thila, or Thyïlea, is, in classical European literature and maps, a region in the far north. Though often considered to be an island in antiquity, modern interpretations of what was meant by Thule often identify it as Norway. Other interpretations...
across Arctic Canada to Nome, AlaskaNome, AlaskaNome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
demonstrates how inuitInuitThe Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
culture could spread rapidly - 1925 Flying boat expedition led by Roald AmundsenRoald AmundsenRoald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
and Lincoln EllsworthLincoln EllsworthLincoln Ellsworth was an arctic explorer from the United States.-Birth:He was born on May 12, 1880 to James Ellsworth and Eva Frances Butler in Chicago, Illinois... - 1926 Aircraft flight by Richard E. Byrd and Floyd BennettFloyd BennettFloyd Bennett was an American aviator who piloted Richard E. Byrd on his attempt to reach the North Pole in 1926.-Biography:...
- 1926 The airship NorgeNorge (airship)The Norge was a semi-rigid Italian-built airship that carried out what many consider the first verified overflight of the North Pole on May 12, 1926. It was also the first aircraft to fly over the polar ice cap between Europe and America...
(Roald AmundsenRoald AmundsenRoald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
, Umberto NobileUmberto NobileUmberto Nobile was an Italian aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer. Nobile was a developer and promoter of semi-rigid airships during the Golden Age of Aviation between the two World Wars...
and Lincoln Ellsworth) - 1928 Eielson-WilkinsHubert WilkinsSir Hubert Wilkins MC & Bar was an Australian polar explorer, ornithologist, pilot, soldier, geographer and photographer.-Early life:...
Arctic Ocean crossing (powered flight Alaska-Spitsbergen) - 1928 The airship ItaliaAirship ItaliaAirship Italia was a semi-rigid airship used by Italian engineer Umberto Nobile in his second series of flights around the North Pole.-Design and specifications:...
(Umberto Nobile) - 1930 Bratvaag ExpeditionBratvaag ExpeditionThe Bratvaag Expedition was a Norwegian expedition in 1930 led by Dr. Gunnar Horn, whose official tasks were hunting seals and to study glaciers and seas in the Svalbard Arctic region. The name of the expedition was taken from its ship, M/S Bratvaag of Ålesund, in which captain Peder Eliassen had...
- 1931 Sir Hubert WilkinsHubert WilkinsSir Hubert Wilkins MC & Bar was an Australian polar explorer, ornithologist, pilot, soldier, geographer and photographer.-Early life:...
with submarine Nautilus (failed 800 km south of the pole). - 1931 Sixth Thule Expedition led by Knud Rasmussen explores Northeast Greenland
- 1931–34 The Three-year Expedition to East GreenlandThree-year Expedition to East GreenlandThe Three-year Expedition was an exploratory expedition to East Greenland that lasted from 1931 to 1934 financed by the Carlsberg Foundation and the Danish state. It was led by Lauge Koch. The other participants were Danish and Swedish geographers, geologists, archaeologists, zoologists and...
led by Lauge KochLauge KochLauge Koch was a Danish geologist and Arctic explorer.He was the renowned leader of 24 Danish government expeditions to Greenland, and the central character in the Lauge Koch Controversy, an international and intra-national conflict...
explores Northeast Greenland - 1932 Icebreaker SibiryakovIcebreaker SibiryakovThe icebreaker Sibiryakov was a Soviet ship which was active in the Russian Arctic during the 1930s. She was built in 1909 in Glasgow and was originally the Newfoundland sealing steamer Bellaventure. After being purchased by Russia in 1916, she was renamed the Sibiryakov...
- 1933 Russian steamship Chelyuskin
- 1937 Soviet transpolar flights
- 1937–1938 MacGregor Arctic ExpeditionMacGregor Arctic ExpeditionThe MacGregor Arctic Expedition was a privately funded expedition which set out to reoccupy Fort Conger, Ellesmere Island, Canada, a site within flying distance of the North Pole...
- 1938–present Soviet and Russian manned drifting ice stationsSoviet and Russian manned drifting ice stationsSoviet and Russian manned drifting ice stations are important contributors to exploration of the Arctic. The stations are named North Pole Soviet and Russian manned drifting ice stations are important contributors to exploration of the Arctic. The stations are named North Pole Soviet and...
- 1948 Russian scientific expedition led by Aleksandr Kuznetsov lands aircraft at Pole
- 1958 USS NautilusUSS Nautilus (SSN-571)USS Nautilus is the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. She was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit beneath the North Pole on August 3, 1958...
passes under the Arctic ice - 1959 Discoverer 1 first satellite in polar orbit. (Prototype; no camera.)
- 1960 Tiros 1 weather satellite in polar orbit; eventually returned 22952 cloud cover photos
- 1968 Ralph PlaistedRalph PlaistedRalph Plaisted and his three companions, Walt Pederson, Gerry Pitzl and Jean-Luc Bombardier, are regarded by most polar authorities to be the first to succeed in a surface traverse across the ice to the North Pole on 19 April 1968, making the first confirmed surface conquest of the Pole.Plaisted...
and three others reach the north pole by snowmobile. - 1968–69 Wally HerbertWally HerbertSir Walter William "Wally" Herbert was a British polar explorer, writer and artist. In 1969 he became the first man to walk undisputed to the North Pole, on the 60th anniversary of Robert Peary's famous, but disputed, expedition...
, British explorer, reaches Pole on foot and traverses the polar sea - 1977 ArktikaArktika (icebreaker)NS Arktika is a nuclear powered icebreaker of the Soviet Arktika class. In service since 1975, she was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole, on August 17, 1977....
, nuclear-powered icebreaker, reaches the North Pole - 1982 Sir Ranulph FiennesRanulph FiennesSir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE , better known as Ranulph Fiennes, is a British adventurer and holder of several endurance records. He is also a prolific writer. Fiennes served in the British Army for eight years including a period on counter-insurgency service while...
and Charles Burton cross the Arctic Ocean in a single season. - 1986 Will StegerWill StegerWill Steger is a prominent spokesperson for the understanding and preservation of the Arctic and has led some of the most significant feats in the field of dogsled expeditions; such as the first confirmed dogsled journey to the North Pole in 1986, the 1,600-mile south-north traverse of Greenland...
and party reach the north pole by dogsled without resupply. - 1988 Will StegerWill StegerWill Steger is a prominent spokesperson for the understanding and preservation of the Arctic and has led some of the most significant feats in the field of dogsled expeditions; such as the first confirmed dogsled journey to the North Pole in 1986, the 1,600-mile south-north traverse of Greenland...
completes first south-north traverse of Greenland. - 1988 Ski-Trek, a joint Soviet-Canadian transpolar expedition aided by satellites.
- 1992 Scientific environmental expedition; crossing of the Greenland inland ice by Japanese expedition led by Kenji Yoshikawa (from east to west)
- 1994 Shane LundgrenShane LundgrenShane Christopher Lundgren is an American aviator, commercial aviation businessman, entrepreneur and adventurer.A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and member of the Explorers Club Lundgren has led a number of aviation focused expeditions....
led expedition began in Moscow and proceeded north of the Arctic Circle across Siberia to Magadan. - 1995 Smithsonian Institution's Arctic Studies Center joined Shane LundgrenShane LundgrenShane Christopher Lundgren is an American aviator, commercial aviation businessman, entrepreneur and adventurer.A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and member of the Explorers Club Lundgren has led a number of aviation focused expeditions....
in a flying expedition to chronicle indigenous people from Yakutsk to Alaska across the Bering Straits. Discovery Online was launched through this expedition.
2000s
- 2004 Five members of the Ice Warrior Squad reach the Geomagnetic North Pole, including the first two women in history to do so.
- 2007 Arktika 2007Arktika 2007Arktika 2007 was a 2007 expedition in which Russia performed the first ever crewed descent to the ocean bottom at the North Pole, as part of research related to the 2001 Russian territorial claim, one of many territorial claims in the Arctic, made possible, in part, because of Arctic shrinkage...
, Russian submersible descends to the ocean floor below the North Pole. - 2007 Top Gear: Polar SpecialTop Gear: Polar SpecialTop Gear: Polar Special was an episode of the popular series Top Gear, first broadcast on 25 July 2007 on BBC Two. It was an attempt by the BBC's Top Gear crew to be the first to drive a motor vehicle to the 1996 location of the Magnetic North Pole....
, BBC's Top Gear team are the first to reach the magnetic North Pole in a car. - 2008 Alex HibbertAlex HibbertAlex Hibbert is a polar expedition leader, motivational speaker, author and photographer...
and George Bullard complete Tiso Trans Greenland expedition. The longest fully unsupported expedition in history at 1374 statute miles.
See also
- Arctic explorationArctic explorationArctic exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic region of the Earth. The region that surrounds the North Pole. It refers to the historical period during which mankind has explored the region north of the Arctic Circle...
- Cartographic expeditions to GreenlandCartographic expeditions to Greenland....
- Farthest NorthFarthest NorthFarthest North describes the most northerly latitude reached by explorers before the conquest of the North Pole rendered the expression obsolete...
- North PoleNorth PoleThe North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
- Territorial claims in the ArcticTerritorial claims in the ArcticUnder international law, no country currently owns the North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean surrounding it. The five surrounding Arctic states, Russia, the United States, Canada, Norway and Denmark , are limited to an exclusive economic zone of adjacent to their coasts.Upon ratification...
- History of research shipsHistory of research shipsThe research ship had origins in the early voyages of exploration. By the time of James Cook's Endeavour, the essentials of what today we would call a research ship are clearly apparent. In 1766, the Royal Society hired Cook to travel to the Pacific Ocean to observe and record the transit of Venus...
- List of Antarctic expeditions
- List of Russian explorers
Further reading
- To the Arctic, The Story of Northern Exploration from Earliest Times (Jeanette Mirsky, 1997)