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Fridtjof Nansen — Age & Birthday

Born: 10 October 1861 · Died: 13 May 1930 · Age at death: 68

How old was Fridtjof Nansen when he died?

Fridtjof Nansen died aged 68. He was born on 10 October 1861 and died on 13 May 1930.

Norwegian explorer who crossed Greenland and drifted in the Arctic ice, then won the Nobel Peace Prize for helping refugees

Did you know?He created the Nansen passport, which enabled thousands of stateless people and refugees to travel across borders after the First World War.

Quick facts

  • Date of birth10 October 1861
  • Date of death13 May 1930
  • Age at death68
  • Cause of deathMyocardial infarction
  • NationalityNorwegian
  • BirthplaceVestre Aker, Norway
  • Occupationzoologist, polar explorer, diplomat

Editor's Take:

Fridtjof Nansen was a polar explorer who became a hero of humanity. In 1888 he led the first crossing of Greenland's ice cap on skis. He then let his ship Fram freeze into the Arctic ice and drift toward the North Pole. Setting off on skis, he reached a record northerly point in 1895. He was also a pioneering scientist of the oceans. After the First World War he led the League of Nations' work for refugees and prisoners. His "Nansen passport" gave stateless people papers. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.

Key Milestones

  1. 1888: Greenland – crossing
  2. 1893: Fram – expedition
  3. 1895: Farthest north – record
  4. 1921: Refugees – League commissioner

Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (Norwegian:; 10 October 1861 – 13 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, a scientist, a diplomat, a humanitarian, and the co-founder of the Fatherland League.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Profile

Fridtjof Nansen: Explorer and Humanitarian

Norwegian explorer, 1861–1930

Fridtjof Nansen was born near Christiania on 10 October 1861.

He crossed Greenland in 1888.

He sailed the Fram from 1893.

He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.

Career highlights

  1. 1888Greenland: crossing
  2. 1893Fram: expedition
  3. 1895Farthest north: record
  4. 1921Refugees: League commissioner
  5. 1922Nobel Peace Prize: awarded

Did you know?Nansen passports were issued to some 450,000 refugees.

Age at death
68
Years since death
96

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Frequently asked questions

When is Fridtjof Nansen's birthday?
Fridtjof Nansen's birthday is October 10. He was born on October 10, 1861 in Vestre Aker, Norway.
How old was Fridtjof Nansen when he died?
Fridtjof Nansen died on May 13, 1930, aged 68.
Who shares a birthday with Fridtjof Nansen?
Famous people who share Fridtjof Nansen's October 10 birthday include Harold Pinter, Claude Simon, Naoto Kan, Henry Cavendish and Selim I.

Born on the same day6

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Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.

Last reviewed: October 2026