Nansen Facts Country Norway Occupation Oceano-grapher, Humani- tarian, Explorer Arctic Regions Explored Greenland, Siberia, North Pole region # of Arctic expeditions 3 Most famous Arctic expedition 1st crossing of Greenland (1888) Other Significant Events Developed theory that an ocean current flowed across the Arctic Ocean Did you know? Nansen made his first trip to the arctic regions on a sealer in 1882 and upon his return became curator of the natural history collection of the Bergen Museum. In 1895, traveling by sledge with his partner F. H. Johansen, Nansen reached lat. 86°14'N (the northernmost point to have been reached at that time) before being turned back by ice conditions. Appointed (1921) as League of Nations high commissioner for refugees, Nansen received the 1922 Nobel Peace Prize, and the League honored him by creating (1931) the Nansen International Office for Refugees, which won the 1938 Nobel Peace Prize.

Fridtjof Nansen
(1861 - 1930)

While still a student at Christiania University, Nansen participated (1882) in his first voyage, a sealing expedition, through Arctic waters. Following this, in 1888, he set out to prove that the interior of Greenland was ice-covered. With a party of five, Nansen made a memorable journey across the frozen island on skis, described in his First Crossing of Greenland (1890).

Nansen subsequently developed a much-derided theory that an ocean current flowed across the Arctic Ocean from Siberia. In order to prove this, he proposed in 1890 to drift with the pack ice across the North Pole in a specially constructed crush-resistant boat, the Fram. The expedition sailed north from Norway on June 24, 1893. The Fram froze in the waters off Siberia on September 22 at lat. 83°59'N. It then drifted northward to 85°57' eventually reaching Norway safely by way of Spitsbergen on September 9, 1896. In the meantime, Nansen had left the ship, hoping to reach the North Pole by skis, kayak, sledge, and dogsled. Though unsuccessful due to adverse ice conditions, he did achieve latitude 86°14'N, the farthest north point reached at that time.

When they were overwintering (1895-96) on Franz Josef Land (now often called Fridtjof Nansen Land), members of the Jackson-Harmsworth expedition chanced upon them and sent them home in one of their ships. Nansen's arrival in Norway was followed eight days later by that of the Fram, under Otto Sverdrup. Although neither he nor his ship had reached the North Pole, Nansen's expedition had confirmed his original theory that a frozen sea lay around the Pole and filled the polar basin. With his highly detailed information on oceanography, meteorology, diet, and nutrition, Nansen had laid the basis for much future Arctic research.

Following World War I, Nansen became internationally renowned for his service to famine-stricken Russia as well as for his work in the repatriation of war prisoners. He was appointed Norway's representative to the League of Nations, a post he held until his death. In 1921 he became the league's commissioner for refugees, and in recognition of his work he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922. As a memorial to his father, Nansen founded (1937) the Nansen Help to supplement the work of the Nansen International Office.

Nansen was the author of numerous books on the Arctic, which he illustrated himself. The Nansen Fund for scientific research was established in his honor.