It was December 14, 1911, when Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team, consisted of 19 people and nearly 100 Greenland sledge dogs, made history by arriving at the southern-most point of the planet. And Google is commemorating his feat with a creative doodle.
“Today’s doodle shows the crew at the finish line, taking a moment to bask in the glory while the Antarctic wind whips outside their tent,” Google shared.
Google noted that Amundsen’s expedition party used skis, played games like guess-the-temperature, celebrated birthdays and told stories, to cross treacherous terrain.
“Their camaraderie and careful preparation helped them win the race to the bottom of the world.”
Google Doodle (Photo: Google)
Who was Roald Amundsen?
Born in July 1872, Roald Amundsen was the Norwegian explorer who was the first person to reach the South Pole.
In 1926, Amundsen and his crew made the first crossing of the Arctic in the airship Norge. He disappeared in June 1928 while flying on a rescue mission in the Arctic.
How did he get to the South Pole?
Amundsen had initially planned to take an expedition to the North Pole. But when he heard that Robert Peary and Frederick Cook had already claimed to reach the northern tip of the planet, he decided to conquer the South Pole.
So, Amundsen left Oslo on June 3, 1910. Six months later, Amundsen and his crew arrived at the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf at the Bay of Whales. He established his base camp there and called it Framheim. The team then departed their base camp on October 19, 1911, to arrive at the South Pole on December 14, 1911.
