The Conquest of the North Pole

The exploration of the Arctic has been a human ambition ever since the existence of the ice-covered polar regions became known. Names such as the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen (16 July 1872 – c. 18 June 1928) are inextricably linked in the popular mind to the conquest of the North Pole, but the opening up of these extreme latitudes to human knowledge has been a collective endeavour in which countless explorers have participated, many of whom perished in the attempt.