# Roald Amundsen

_Norwegian explorer; first person to reach the South Pole (1872–1928)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/roald-amundsen
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (UK: , US: ; Norwegian: [ˈrùːɑɫ ˈɑ̂mʉnsən] ; 16 July 1872 – c. 18 June 1928) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 16 July 1872 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q926#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Borge Municipality ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q926#P19))
- **Died:** 18 June 1928 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q926#P570))
- **Place of death:** Arctic Ocean ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q926#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Norway ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q926#P27))
- **Occupation:** explorer; writer; sailor; researcher; polar explorer; aircraft pilot ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q926#P106))
- **Awards:** Fridtjof Nansen Award of Excellence, Mathematics-Natural sciences class; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav‎; Hubbard Medal; Constantin Medal; Knight of the Order of Leopold; Vega Medal; Alexander von Humboldt Medal; Patron’s Medal; Congressional Gold Medal; Grande Médaille d'Or des Explorations; Medal for Outstanding Civic Service; Medal of Merit in Gold with Crown; Polar Medal; Charles P. Daly Medal; Medalla Plus Ultra ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q926#P166))

## About

Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Amundsen began his career as a polar explorer as first mate on Adrien de Gerlache's Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–1899. From 1903 to 1906, he led the first expedition to successfully traverse the Northwest Passage on the sloop Gjøa. In 1909, Amundsen began planning for a South Pole expedition. He left Norway in June 1910 on the ship Fram and reached Antarctica in January 1911. His party established a camp at the Bay of Whales and a series of supply depots on the Barrier (now known as the Ross Ice Shelf) before setting out for the pole in October. The party of five, led by Amundsen, became the first to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911.

Following a failed attempt in 1918 to reach the North Pole by traversing the Northeast Passage on the ship Maud, Amundsen began planning for an aerial expedition instead. On 12 May 1926, Amundsen and 15 other men in the airship Norge became the first explorers verified to have reached the North Pole. Amundsen disappeared in June 1928 while flying on a rescue mission for the airship Italia in the Arctic. The search for his remains, which have not been found, was called off that September.

## Questions

**When was Roald Amundsen born?**  
Roald Amundsen was born on 16 July 1872 in Borge Municipality.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Roald Amundsen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Amundsen) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q926](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q926) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Amundsen in fur skins.jpg by Anonymous Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amundsen_in_fur_skins.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Roald Amundsen, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Amundsen in fur skins.jpg — Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Roald Amundsen". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/roald-amundsen. Retrieved 4 November 2026.