Piri or Cook: which of the Americans was actually the first to reach the North Pole

It is believed that Robert Peary was the first to reach the North Pole in April 1909. At least, it is written in school textbooks on geography. However, he was not the first to announce his achievement of the extreme northern point of our planet. He was ahead of Frederick Albert Cook. But how did it happen that Piri was recognized as the discoverer, and not Cook? And why in the scientific community there is still no consensus on this? Let us take a look at the events of a century ago, the veracity of which is still debated.

Frederick Albert Cook (1865-1940) was an American polar explorer who traveled to several Arctic expeditions before setting out to conquer the North Pole. Cook knew firsthand about the harsh conditions of the Arctic, and therefore he carefully prepared for the upcoming trip. In the fall and winter of 1907, he made the necessary food supplies on the islands of Axel-Heiberg and Ellesmere, and also prepared all the necessary equipment.

In March 1908, accompanied by two Eskimos, Frederick Albert Cook moved towards the North Pole by dog ​​sledding. On their way they overcame a huge wormwood and ice hummocks, and, according to Cook, on April 21, 1908 reached the end point of the route. The return trip turned out to be much more difficult: the ice under the rays of the spring sun began to melt, forming numerous cracks and wormwoods. On a drifting ice floe, they were carried almost 200 kilometers from the set course. Thanks to a miracle, they did not die of starvation and with great difficulty reached the island of Ellesmere, where there was a warehouse with food, by the beginning of winter. The Cook group returned to the starting point of the journey only in February 1909, and then continued on dog sledding south. Having reached the Shetland Islands by the fall of 1909, Cook on September 1 telegrammed his conquest of the North Pole.

And 5 days later, on September 6, 1909, Robert Peary, another American traveler, reported the same thing.

The same could be said about Cook's expedition. Despite this, the American public and representatives of the scientific community, for unknown reasons, declared Cook's words to be false, and Piri was recognized as the discoverer of the North Pole. The US government declared him a national hero, awarded the rank of admiral, and awarded a solid lifetime pension.

Years later, while analyzing Cook's writings and descriptions of his journey, many scholars agreed that Frederick Albert Cook did visit the North Pole. Despite this, Piri is still considered the official discoverer. Although all experts today agree on one thing: given the fact that, in addition to the expedition leaders themselves, there were no authoritative specialists who could confirm the exact location of the group, it is impossible to prove whether the Americans were really at the North Pole. Perhaps they were in close proximity to him or at a considerable distance from the cherished goal. Humanity will never know about this.

Watch the video: Masha and The Bear - Home Improvement Episode 26 (May 2024).