Tracking Franklin and Amundsen
- By Lexi Krock
- Posted 02.28.06
- NOVA
Their routes through the Arctic in search of a northwest sea passage were remarkably similar, but their fates were starkly different. Though Sir John Franklin was a celebrated English explorer with decades of experience, 128 men, and two finely crafted ships, his mission became tragically trapped in ice. A half-century later, a young Norwegian named Roald Amundsen, using a modest fishing vessel and a tiny crew, charted the long-sought Northwest Passage with relative ease. On this map, compare key points on both expeditions.
Launch Interactive
Printable Version
Trace the routes of Sir John Franklin and Roald Amundsen in their epic quests to find a passage through the Arctic Sea.
This feature originally appeared on the site for the NOVA program Arctic Passage.
Credits
Image
- (map)
- © NOVA/WGBH Educational Foundation
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