This Happened
This Happened—December 14: First Steps On The South Pole
Arriving by ship, skis and dog-powered sleighs, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen arrived where no human had ever set foot, exactly 111 years ago today.
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Why was Roald Amundsen trying to reach the South Pole?
Amundsen's initial plans had focused on the Arctic and the conquest of the North Pole using an extended drift in an icebound ship, but his expedition was disrupted when rival American explorers Frederick Cook and Robert Peary each claimed to have reached the North Pole. Amundsen then changed his plan and began to prepare for a conquest of the South Pole.
What were the worst things to happen to Roald Amundsen’ trying to reach the South Pole?
Amundsen fell through ice, broke his arm in two places, was attacked by a polar bear and almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning during his journey.
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