In Part 1 of our series on Norwegian polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen, we cover Nansen’s early years, including a sealing expedition to the Arctic, and his success as a scientist. We then move on to his planning of his Greenland Expedition in 1888 – where Nansen will try and become the first man to ever cross the world’s biggest island.
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Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (10 October 1861 – 13 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath (explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, traversing the island on cross-country skis. Nansen won international fame after reaching a record northern latitude of 86°14′ during his Fram expedition of 1893–1896. Although he retired from exploration after his return to Norway, his techniques of polar travel and his innovations in equipment and clothing influenced a generation of subsequent Arctic and Antarctic expeditions.
