Oscar Wisting
Oscar Adolf Wisting ( born June 6 1871 in Larvik, † December 5, 1936 in Oslo) was a Norwegian polar explorer. Together with Roald Amundsen he was the first man to reach both the North and the South Pole.
Life
Wisting was a naval gunner, as Roald Amundsen asked him in 1909 if he would accompany him on his next expedition. Amundsen secretly changed his plans later. Wisting and all the rest of crew of specially built for polar conditions sailing ship Fram stabbed in the belief in the lake that you can be moving towards the North Pole In reality, however, took aim at the South Pole Amundsen to record the race with Robert Falcon Scott. The first to be at the Pole, Amundsen was closely guarded, secret goal. Wisting was his most faithful follower.
On December 14, 1911 Wisting hoisted together with Amundsen, Helmer Hanssen, Sverre Hassel, and Olav Bjaaland the Norwegian flag at the geographical South Pole. So they were the first people who ever reached this extremely remote place. On skis, initially with five of 52 Greenland dogs drawn carriage, broke the five men on 21 October 1911 by its wintering station " Framheim " on the Antarctic ice edge on; 99 days later all five men, but only two sledges and 11 dogs came back there to: about 3000 km skiing through the icy Antarctic mountain lay behind them.
From 1918 to 1925 Wisting was first officer on board the sailing ship Maud, while they tried under Roald Amundsen to traverse the Northeast Passage. From 1923 he acted more or less as expedition leader after Amundsen had set out to fly to the pole.
In 1926 Wisting part in Amundsen's first successful attempt to fly over the North Pole. In the airship Norge, they reached the Pole on May 12, 1926, the three claims to have been at the North Pole before ( by Frederick Cook in 1908, Robert Peary in 1909 and Richard E. Byrd in 1926, just a few days before the Norge) are controversial.; ultimately remains unclear whether the three " predecessor" by mistake or fraudulently negotiated. In order for the crew members of the Norge are considered first authentic researchers who reached the North Pole.
Later (1930 ) he wrote a book about his time with Amundsen: 16 aar med Roald Amundsen (16 years with Roald Amundsen ). It can be said that Wisting has been one of the very few steadfast friends Amundsen, whose difficult personality lasting friendships otherwise very difficult.
In later years, Oscar Wisting was the driving force behind the planning and construction of the Frammuseums in Oslo, which was built to house the Fram and to present to the public. On December 5, 1936 died Wisting in his old bunk aboard the Fram of a heart attack, just days before the 25th anniversary of the successful South Pole expedition.