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| The First Person to Reach North Pole - Robert Edwin Peary |
Robert Peary: The First Person to Reach North Pole
Robert
Edwin Peary, Sr. was an American explorer who claimed to have led the
first expedition, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole.
Born: May 6, 1856, Cresson, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: February 20, 1920, Washington, D.C., United States
Spouse: Josephine Diebitsch Peary (m. 1888–1920)
Education: Bowdoin College, Portland High School
Awards: Hubbard Medal
Robert Edwin Peary (6 May 1856 - 20
February 1920) was born in Cresson PA near Pittsburgh, grew up in ME,
and graduated from Bowdoin College as a civil engineer in 1877. Peary
made several expeditions to the Arctic, exploring Greenland by dog sled
in 1886 and 1891 and returning to the island three times in the 1890s.
Unlike many previous explorers, Peary studied Inuit survival techniques,
built igloos, and dressed in practical furs in the native fashion.
Peary also relied on the Inuit as hunters and dog-drivers on his
expeditions, and pioneered the use of the system (which he called the
"Peary system") of using support teams and supply caches for Arctic
travel. His wife, Josephine, accompanied him on several of his
expeditions. He also had 8 toes amputated but kept walking.
Peary made several attempts to reach the North Pole between 1898 and 1905. For his final assault on the pole, he and 23 men set off from New York City aboard the Roosevelt under the command of Captain Robert Bartlett on July 6, 1908. They wintered near Cape Sheridan on Ellesmere Island and from there departed for the pole on March 1, 1909. The last support party turned back on April 1, 1909 in latitude 87°47' north. On the final stage of the journey to the North Pole only five of his men, Matthew Henson, Ootah, Egigingwah, Seegloo and Ooqueah, remained. On April 6, he established Camp Jesup near the pole. In his diary for April 7 (but actually written up much later when preparing his journals for publication), Peary wrote "The Pole at last! The prize of 3 centuries, my dream and ambition for 23 years. Mine at last..." He died in Washington DC on 20 February 1920 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His gravesite is topped by a huge globe on which Peary's personal credo, "I shall find a way or make one," is inscribed.
Peary made several attempts to reach the North Pole between 1898 and 1905. For his final assault on the pole, he and 23 men set off from New York City aboard the Roosevelt under the command of Captain Robert Bartlett on July 6, 1908. They wintered near Cape Sheridan on Ellesmere Island and from there departed for the pole on March 1, 1909. The last support party turned back on April 1, 1909 in latitude 87°47' north. On the final stage of the journey to the North Pole only five of his men, Matthew Henson, Ootah, Egigingwah, Seegloo and Ooqueah, remained. On April 6, he established Camp Jesup near the pole. In his diary for April 7 (but actually written up much later when preparing his journals for publication), Peary wrote "The Pole at last! The prize of 3 centuries, my dream and ambition for 23 years. Mine at last..." He died in Washington DC on 20 February 1920 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His gravesite is topped by a huge globe on which Peary's personal credo, "I shall find a way or make one," is inscribed.
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