I.

Introduction

Roald Amundsen (1872-1928), Norwegian polar explorer, who was the first to successfully navigate the Northwest Passage (1903-1906) in the Arctic and the first to reach the South Pole (December 14, 1911) in Antarctica.

Amundsen was born in Borge, near Oslo, and was the son of a shipowner. He briefly studied medicine before going to sea at the age of 20 aboard an Arctic sealing vessel. In 1897 he joined the crew of the Belgica as a member of the Belgian Antarctic expedition led by Adrien de Gerlache, the first to winter in Antarctica. Trapped in the ice for 13 months, Amundsen and the ship’s doctor, Frederick Cook, fed the crew on seal meat to prevent scurvy.