AMUNDSEN, i'mfin-sin, Roald, Norwe gian explorer: b. Borge, Smaalenene, Norway, 16 July 1872. He studied medicine for two years at the University of Christiania, then entered the Norwegian naval service, went to sea in 1893, and in 1897 became first officer on the Belgica, of the Belgian South Polar Ex pedition (1897-99). In 1901 he made ocean ographic researches off the northeast coast of Greenland with the Gjoa, a small vessel regis tering 47 tons, and after studying terrestrial magnetism at Wilhelmshafen, Hamburg and Potsdam set sail in June 1903 in the Gjfia to relocate the position of the Magnetic North Pole. Taking up his headquarters on the southeast side of King William's Land he made during 19 months a magnetic survey of a con siderable region around the pole and was thus able to prove that it has probably no stationary position but is in continual movement. His observations were taken to Norway where their reduction is still in progress. During this ex pedition Amundsen was also the first and only man to accomplish the long-attempted feat of taking a ship from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the North West Passage. He reached Herschel Island on 13 Aug. 1905, having ac complished one of the most important tasks ever performed in geographic exploration. In 1909 Amundsen planned an expedition in Nansen's ship, The Fram, with the object of drifting across the North Polar Sea, but suffi cient funds for this purpose were still lacking when he learned of Peary's discovery of the North Pole. Fearing that the incentive for
further contributions had been removed, he secretly resolved to make his objective point the South Pole, believing that he had, sufficient equipment for an Antarctic expedition. He started on 9 Aug. 1910, first announced his change of plan to the world from Madeira, and on 14 Jan. 1911, arrived in the Bay of Whales, which he made his base, and pitched his winter camp on the Great Ice Barrier. In October 1911 he started with four companions his dash for the pole, which he reached on 16 Dec. 1911. a month before his English com petitor, Captain Scott. Amundsen owed his success not only to his superb courage and endurance, and to favorable weather conditions, but also to his attention to the smallest details of his equipment, and to his use and knowledge of dogs as draught animals. After his return he lectured in most cities of Europe, North America and Australia; and his book, The South Pole,' was translated into many Ian guages and published in English in 1912. His long-delayed drift across the Arctic Ocean, on which he had planned to start in 1914, wag indefinitely postponed on the outbreak of the European War, as Amundsen felt the Nor wegian government might have other uses for their $40,000 appropriated for the purpose. Amundsen also wrote The North West Pas sage,' published in English in 1908.