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Robert E Peary – (1856 – 1920) – Explorer
Robert E Peary was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole.
Peary's claim was widely credited for most of the 20th century, though it was criticized even in its own day and is today doubted. In any
case, there is no doubt that his expedition came very close to the pole and was incredibly difficult and dangerous given the technology and equipment of the time.
During the course of his explorations, he had 8 toes amputated.
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Peary made several expeditions to the Arctic, exploring Greenland by dog sled in 1886 and 1891 and returning to the island three times in the
1890s. He twice attempted to cross northwest Greenland over the ice cap, discovering Navy Cliff.
Unlike most previous explorers, Peary studied Inuit survival techniques, built igloos, and dressed in practical furs in the native fashion
both for heat preservation and to dispense with the extra weight of tents and sleeping bags when on the march. Peary also relied on the Inuit
as hunters and dog-drivers on his expeditions, and pioneered the use of the system (which he called the "Peary system") of using support
teams and supply caches for Arctic travel. His wife, Josephine, accompanied him on several of his expeditions.
Historical / Biographical information courtesy of Wikipedia.
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