105 years ago, in 1911, a Norwegian explorer named Roald Amundson became the first person to reach the South Pole in Antarctica. Following years of preparation, he along with a group of men and some canines (sled dogs) completed the first expedition to the southernmost part of the Earth. More than a century later, Google Doodle is celebrating the anniversary of the effort of Amundsen and the group of people who braved such extreme climates to achieve this feat. In the Google Doodle, we can see the winds in the Antarctic whipping past the tents of the crew after they reached the finish line of the South Pole. It is almost as if there is a ‘bask in the glory’ feel to it.
Born in 1872, Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole. He started exploring at a very young age and wanted to be the first one to reach the North Pole. But Robert E Peary and Frederick Cook already claimed to have achieved the feat in April 1909. A ‘The Independent’ report said, that he did not disclose his mission to his team of explorers until the ship had left the last port of call. He reportedly did this because was apprehensive that his supporters might back off at the last moment,
Google wrote, “Amundsen’s expedition party consisted of 19 people and nearly 100 Greenland sled dogs. The dogs – along with the use of skis to cross treacherous terrain — were key to the team’s success. And like their canine companions, the explorers knew that playfulness could help them endure the extreme conditions on the icy frontier.” Interestingly, the crew started with 52 sled dogs, killed 24 for food and returned with 11. It also reported that there was another British party led by Robert Falcon Scott which their own attempt but reached four weeks later than Amundson and did not make the journey back due to starvation and extreme cold.
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The death of Amundson has been a mystery as his plane flying on a rescue mission was believed to have crashed in the fog. The bodies of the members of the mission could not be found despite a lot of efforts.
