1909: American explorer Robert Peary claims to have reached the geographic North Pole on this date. If true, it makes him the first person to attain "the Big Nail" (the English translation of the way Eskimos referred to the pole). That is, unless Frederick Cook got there a year earlier, as he claimed to have done.
Unlike the assault on the South Pole two-and-a-half years later, where Roald Amundsen provided ample evidence to support his claim of priority, attaining the North Pole was a muddled, even sordid, affair. The trouble started when Peary returned from his polar expedition only to learn that Cook was claiming to have reached the North Pole in April 1908.
Cook’s claim was shaky at best -- he provided almost no physical, statistical or anecdotal evidence to back him up. Testimonials from the team that accompanied Cook were contradictory as well, casting further doubt.
On the other hand, Peary didn't exactly cover his bases, either. For one thing, there was no trained navigator on the journey's final leg to confirm Peary's calculations. His navigational work has been criticized for its sloppiness and the distances he claims to have covered within certain time periods strain credulity.
The pole-seeking fraternity proceeded to split into Cook and Peary camps and the claims and counterclaims flew, spiced up with bits of bribery and outright attempts by Peary and his supporters to discredit Cook.
History has been kinder to Peary and he is generally credited with being the first person to stand on top of the world. So we note this date, and hope they got it right.
(Source: Wikipedia)
*This article first appeared on Wired.com April 6, 2007. *
See Also:- Oct. 10, 1861: The Journey Begins for Nansen
