Member-only story
The Airship That Ferried Famous Explorers To The North Pole
The improbable journey of the Norge
The early 20th century saw an explosion in polar exploration on both ends of the Earth. Ships were plying the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean in search of glory, new frontiers and historic world firsts. During these years, a series of competing claims were made about reaching the North Pole. The feat, deemed heroically difficult due to the lack of land at the top of the Earth, was announced and disputed numerous times.
Due to the shifting ice and lack of modern location services no one could verify that anyone had actually reached the point on the globe where all of the meridians met. Even if one were to plant a flag or drop a plaque, the shifting ice could drift the conquest far off base eliminating any physical marker as a reliable source of achievement.
This played out in news headlines for decades as explorer after explorer claimed — without good evidence — that they had reached the North Pole proper.
Three of the most famous claims came from Fredrick Cook, Richard Peary and Robert Byrd. None of the claims could be independently verified leading to a harsh battle in the papers over who was right and who was first.
