Amundsen, Roald
Amundsen, Roald (1872-1928), Norwegian explorer. He successfully navigated the North-West Passage in 1903 with a crew of six. Forestalled by Robert Peary in the discovery of the North Pole, he became the first man to reach the South Pole (1911), ahead of Robert Scott, having completed the final stage with four men and a team of 52 dogs. In 1926 he made the first crossing from Spitzbergen to Alaska over the North Pole in an airship. He died in a rescue operation, when his plane came down in the Arctic Ocean.
