Fridtjof Nansen's bio summary

Fridtjof Nansen was a explorer and diplomat as well as a scientist.

He first sailed to Greenland in 1882, and began planning his return the next year, he would to attempt the crossing of said country on ski. He wished to cross from east to west, navigating through a seemingly impassable ice pack.

In 1888 he set off to cross Greenland, and managed it in 41 days of freezing cold, finishing in Godhan Fjord.

Five years later, in 1893, he set sail in the Fram, a ship build specifically for his purposes, seeking a way across the Polar Sea. He surmised that if the ship was allowed to drift, it would eventually find its way across. Sadly, no such passage was found, and they were forced to leave the ship and turn back. The return trip was made with three sledges pulled by dogs and two kayaks.

Though they did not find passage through the Polar Sea, many discoveries were made on the doomed voyage, including the existence of a polar basin, and the phenomena known as 'dead water' .

In 1922 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a High Commissioner with the League of Nations.

Fridtjof Nansen is also well known for his academic and political careers, but those are not vital to our report, should you wish to know more, information can be found at Wikipedia.com, and a great number of other sites.

Our Song

Fridtjof Nansen sailed through the sea,
To see the sea.
But to sail the sea to see the sea
was not all it was cracked up to be.

To Greenland went he,
across it to ski,
what fun that would be,
And so agreed he!

Fridtjof Nansen sailed through the sea,
To see the sea.
But to sail the sea to see the sea
was not all it was cracked up to be.

He sailed the FRAM, in 1983,
I mean 1893,
For the route to be
across the sea,
the Polar Sea must be,

Fridtjof Nansen sailed through the sea,
To see the sea.
But to sail the sea to see the sea
was not all it was cracked up to be.

and so found he,
that it would not be
possible to sail that sea,
So back went he,
most cheerfully,
To
NORWAY!