Roald Amundsen is one of the key figures in the history of polar exploration, being the first to also succeed in crossing the Northwest Passage by sea (1905) and crossing the Arctic by air (1926).
Amundsen’s initial expedition was to sail across the North Pole, but upon hearing the news that American explorer Robert E. Peary had beat him to it in 1909, he decided to “conquer” Antarctica instead. Amundsen set sail from Norway in June 1910 with only his brother knowing that he had changed his route.
After a year and half of travelling, Amundsen reached his destination on December 14th, one month before his rival, English explorer Robert Falcon Scott, succeeded himself (although his return journey had a tragic fate).
