Profile of the Day: Fridtjof Nansen

Today we remember Norwegian explorer, scientist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fridtjof Nansen, who was born on this day in 1861 in Oslo, Norway.

Image: Fridtjof Nansen / National Library of Norway, Flickr

A champion skier and ice skater in his youth, Nansen had a passion for adventure from a young age. He studied Zoology in school, which enabled him to combine his scientific interests, his athletic abilities, and his sense of adventure in his work.

In 1888, Nansen successfully led the first expedition across the interior of Greenland. He later gained greater international fame for attempting to be the first to reach the North Pole. Although his expedition was unsuccessful, Nansen had gone farther north in latitude than anyone else at the time.

In 1921, Nansen was appointed the High Commissioner for Refugees by the League of Nations. During the aftermath of World War I, he worked to free hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war. Nansen also devoted his attention to humanitarian relief efforts, helping thousands of displaced refugees. He introduced the “Nansen passport,” a travel document for stateless refugees that enabled them to cross international borders and resettle. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 in recognition of his work.

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