Roald Amundsen Birthday, Age & Famous Birthday Twins
Born: 16 July 1872 · Died: 18 June 1928 · Age: 55
Norwegian polar explorer who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole in December 1911
Did you know?He disappeared in the Arctic while taking part in a rescue mission for the crew of a crashed airship.
Quick facts
Date of birth16 July 1872
Date of death18 June 1928
Age at death55
Cause of deathAviation accident
NationalityNorwegian
BirthplaceBorge Municipality, Norway
Occupationexplorer, writer, sailor
Editor's Take:
Amundsen succeeded where others failed because he learned from the people who knew the cold best. Before heading south, he studied Inuit techniques for travelling and dressing in Arctic conditions, and he relied on skis and sled dogs rather than ponies or motor sledges. That careful preparation helped his team reach the South Pole in December 1911, about five weeks ahead of Robert Falcon Scott's British expedition. Earlier, he had become the first to navigate the Northwest Passage by sea, a route that had defeated explorers for centuries. His methodical approach is still held up as a model of planning in extreme conditions.
Key Milestones
1906: Completes the first Northwest Passage voyage
1911: Reaches the South Pole
1926: Flies over the North Pole in the airship Norge
1928: Disappears on a rescue flight
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (UK:, US:; Norwegian:; 16 July 1872 – c. 18 June 1928) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.
