Robert Peary: biography, discoveries and interesting facts. Robert Peary's journey to the North Pole

Robert Edwin Peary is naval officer USA. Also researcher Robert Peary known for his works on the Arctic. His life began in Cresson. After graduating from Portland High School, he continued his studies at Bowdoin College and became a certified engineer.

He received his first work experience in the Geodetic and Coastal Survey of America. As a civil engineer, he began military service in naval forces. The first survey work began in 1884 in Nicaragua.

Interest in the Arctic was sparked by reports of the Greenland ice sheet. Fascinated by this region and the study of the possibility of movement to the interior regions, he conducted 8 Arctic research expeditions. The first expedition was organized for three months. The group studied the ice cap of Disko Bay and the surrounding area.

The expeditions were interrupted for a two-year period, which was required by work and a forced stay in Nicaragua. After this, the study of the Arctic was resumed. During the 2nd expedition it was found that Greenland is an island.

To reach these conclusions, it was necessary to cover a distance of 2.1 thousand kilometers, crossing eastern-northern Greenland, starting from McCormick Bay and ending in Independence Fjord. On the journey they discovered the land of Heilprin and Melville.

After the end of the third expedition, a trip was organized to Cape York to search for the remains of meteorites falling in Greenland. And during the four-year expedition, the researchers headed towards the goal.

We managed to visit Fort Conger on Ellesmere Island. There, A. Greeley’s expedition had previously ended unsuccessfully. Old instruments and diaries with notes were found there. The ice cap of the island, in the areas of Princess Mary and Lady Franklin Bays, was also studied.

During the seventh expedition, Edwin Peary advanced even further. Its distance from the pole was only 322 kilometers.

The Eighth Expedition was financed by the United States Navy, which was most likely achieved thanks to friendly relations Peary and Theodore Roosevelt.

The travelers were confident that they had reached their destination. At the moment when the researchers returned home, it was found out that Frederick Cook was claiming primacy in visiting the North Pole.

Allegedly he was ahead of the expedition by 1 year. Following a heated debate, Robert was declared the winner, although his primacy was questioned in the 1980s when the records, data and maps of the last expedition were studied.

National geographical society confirmed that only 8 km remained to reach the cherished point of the expedition.

Achievements of Robert Peary:

Proved that Greenland is an island
discovery of the lands of Melville and Heilprin
exploration of the ice cap of many regions of Greenland

Dates from the biography of Robert Peary:

born 05/06/1856
1877 graduated from college
1881 went to serve in navy
1884-1885 first filming in Nicaragua
1885 Interest in the Arctic began
1886 went to Greenland on the first expedition
1891-1892 discovered the lands of Heilprin and Melville
1898 publication “By big ice north"
1907 the book “Near the Pole” was published
1910 The work “North Pole” stole the light
1917 published “Secrets of Polar Travel”
died on February 20, 1920

Interesting facts about Robert Peary:

During the 2nd expedition he covered a distance of more than 2 thousand kilometers
1996 publication "Cook and Peary: completion of the polar debate"

Peary Robert Edwin (1856-1920) American polar explorer, admiral (1911). In 1892 and 1895 he crossed Greenland. On April 6, 1909, he reached the North Pole area by dog ​​sled. Robert Peary walked to the top of the planet five times and was forced to turn back five times. That's non-freezing open water, then impassable hummocks stopped him. In the intervals between expeditions, he returned to his homeland in the USA for a year or two. He returned only to prepare a new expedition. In total, he lived among the Eskimos in the far north of Greenland for a decade and a half. During one of the expeditions, his legs froze. Eight fingers had to be amputated. But neither this accident nor numerous failures could break the traveler’s perseverance... Robert Edwin Peary was born in Cresson Springs (Pennsylvania) on May 8, 1856. The father died when the boy was two years old. The mother returned with her son to Maine, on the southern border of the state, where he grew up among wildlife. He was only son. After finishing high school in Portland, he was accepted to Baudouin College in Brunswick. The mother also moved to Brunswick so as not to be separated from her son at least in the first years of his student life. After graduating from college, Robert went to Washington, where he worked as a draftsman for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey. Soon, however, he transferred to the Navy Department as an engineer and received military rank Lieutenant Three years later he is sent to Nicaragua. IN tropical forests he carried out surveys of the canal route across the isthmus. The ministry appreciated Piri's work so highly that it granted him several months of leave. In 1886, Robert took a vacation, asked his mother for $500, and unexpectedly left for Greenland. In June 1886, the whaling ship Eagle landed Robert Peary at Godhaven. It seems that at that time Piri had not yet seriously thought about conquering the Pole. His plans were more modest: crossing Greenland from the west coast to the east. At that time, the interior of Greenland remained a blank spot on maps. There was an opinion that glaciers only border the island, and behind them there should be exposed rocky areas with a milder climate, even covered with forests. In 1878, the Dane Jensen tried to cross Greenland, in 1883 the Swede Nordenskiöld. But both of these attempts ended in failure. Peary also failed to achieve success. In 26 days, his detachment managed to advance less than 100 miles inland icy desert even smaller than Nordenskiöld's detachment. Piri wrote about his first unsuccessful attempt crossing Greenland as a reconnaissance expedition; in fact, Peary's plan, as already stated, was to reach Peterman Peak on the opposite side of the island.

Peary walked about one-sixth of the distance and was forced to turn back. But the Greenland expedition made his name, and he himself was now hopelessly sick of the North. The biographer writes: In the continental ice of Greenland, during a reconnaissance expedition, his taste for Arctic travel first awakened. This was the path that promised him the desired glory. Peary returned to Nicaragua, then moved to Philadelphia. Having secured the support of the American Geographical Society and the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, he received a cash subsidy, secured an eighteen-month leave from service, and in 1891 again went to Greenland. He formulated his goal as follows: ... to achieve and determine northern border Greenland by land, that is, by crossing internal ice. Peary called his first trip to Greenland reconnaissance. But this time he really led the expedition: a special ship, thirty people on board. At the very beginning, while still approaching the wintering site, a huge piece of ice jammed the ship's rudder, and the heavy iron tiller spun sharply. The blow hit Piri in the legs. A fracture of both bones above the ankle was determined by expedition doctor Frederick Cook. Peary devotes three lines to this episode in his book: Thanks to the professional skill of my doctor Cook and the constant and attentive care of Mrs. Peary, my complete recovery was quickly achieved. And after a month and a half, Piri personally participates in the delivery of food warehouses, which should provide for next year's sleigh trips. In winter, equipment was tested on short hikes, and people practiced skiing. Eskimo women sewed clothes. And in the spring, Piri went on a hike and walked along the ice sheet for more than 2000 kilometers, crossing Greenland twice in its northernmost part. In January 1899, Piri, preparing a throw to the Pole, decided to abandon an auxiliary food warehouse in the darkest time of the polar night. His squad would fight their way to Fort Conger for a week: We walked in complete darkness, over piles of ice, stumbling, falling, getting up again, and pushing our way further and further for 18 hours. When at Fort Conger, in the very house where the Greeley expedition once wintered, he can undress for the first time in a week, he will see that his legs are hopelessly frostbitten. The ship's doctor, Thomas Dedrick, amputates eight of his fingers, and again the squad will fight their way through the night, this time back to Windward's anchorage. But in his book, Peary will write only two lines about this return journey: On the twenty-eighth we reached Windward’s parking lot.

Everyone, except me, walked 250 miles in 11 days... He was carried on sledges for these 11 days. And a month after the amputation, he will again go to Fort Conger... on crutches. Whatever it is, in the spring they must go to the Pole! Piri was frantic in his work, he did not spare either himself or other people. And he couldn’t stand it when his companions showed independence when they had own opinion, different from his opinion. By the way, the rush to deliver food to Fort Conger in 1899, when Peary suffered such serious frostbite, is explained precisely by the fact that the American traveler sought to get ahead of the Norwegian Otto Sverdrup... In 1892, in his report to the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, Peary characterized Dr. Cook as a tireless researcher the unusual people among whom we happened to live. A little later, Cook wrote an article about his ethnographic research and asked Peary for permission to publish it, since he was bound by certain contractual obligations even before the expedition began. Piri refused. Robert Peary devoted his entire life to fulfilling his dream of conquering the Pole. More than once I returned from the great frozen desert defeated, exhausted and exhausted, sometimes mutilated, convinced that this was my last attempt... But less than a year passed, I was again overwhelmed by the well-known feeling of anxiety... I was inexpressibly drawn there, to the boundless icy expanses, I longed to fight against the frozen elements. Piri is already over fifty, but he does not want to put up with failure. I haven’t done systematic physical training because I don’t see any particular benefit in it. Until now, my body has always obeyed the will, no matter what the demands placed on it, wrote Piri. Over the years, he began to feel that conquering the top of the planet was destined for him by fate. I for many years I believed that reaching the Pole was destined for me. Money for the new expedition is provided by wealthy patrons from the Peary Arctic Club. President Theodore Roosevelt himself, hugging him goodbye, called Peary the national hope. Over the years, plans to conquer the pole have changed somewhat. Only very small parties are suitable for actual work in the polar regions, Peary once wrote. Now he believes that auxiliary parties are necessary. They pave the way in the hummocks, build an igloo (ice hut) for overnight stays, they must drop food supplies as far north as possible and, finally, preserve the strength of the main detachment for the decisive push to the Pole. At the end of February 1909, a huge caravan leaves Cape Columbia: 19 sledges, 133 dogs, 24 people.

On March 1, Robert Peary himself starts in the rearguard... Radio communication at that time had not yet become common practice on polar expeditions, and the world knew nothing about Piri’s fate until the fall of 1909. Only on September 7, a victorious telegram arrived in Europe: The Stars and Stripes have been driven into the pole! As you understand, the stars and stripes are the American flag, which Peary, according to him, planted at the pole on April 6, 1909. On the very day that Peary's telegram reached Europe, the conqueror of the North Pole... Dr. Frederick Cook was already being honored in Copenhagen! He claimed to have reached the top of the planet on April 21, 1908. Dr. Cook learned of Peary's success at a banquet given in his honor: A dead silence fell in the room... The air seemed to be electrified. When I heard the news, I didn’t feel... neither envy nor annoyance. I thought only about Piri, about long and difficult years, and I was happy for him. I didn't feel a sense of competition. I believed that Piri had solved, in addition to vanity, great scientific problems in his campaign. Perhaps he managed to discover new lands and map new spaces. Speaking to reporters that day, Cook would be restrained: We are both Americans, and therefore there can be no international conflict because of this wonderful discovery, so long and so ardently desired. It seemed that Cook and Peary would rightfully share the honor and glory of discoverers among themselves. But Piri could not come to terms with the fact that he was only second. He was too accustomed to consider the pole his property. Already one of Peary's first telegrams was a declaration of war: Please note that Cook simply deceived the public. He was not at the Pole either on April 21, 1908, or at any other time... And a scandal unprecedented in history broke out geographical discoveries. Many times the question of the priority of opening the pole was discussed at meetings of a special commission and even in the US Congress itself. Piri said: I put my whole life into doing what seemed worthwhile to me, because the task was clear and promising... And when I finally achieved the goal, some filthy cowardly impostor messed up and ruined everything. Cook sent a letter to the president: If you sign the decree on Piri, then by doing so you will honor a man with sinful hands... In given time in the bleak North there are at least two children screaming for bread, milk and their father. They are living witnesses to the dirty tricks of Piri, who is covered with a scab of unspeakable vice. But Cook was a member of the Peary expedition in 1891-1892. Young Frederick Cook then looked at his boss as a deity, and Peary wrote after the end of the expedition: We owe it to Dr. Cook that there were almost no diseases among the members of our expedition.

I cannot but pay tribute to his professional skill, unfailing patience and composure at critical moments. While doing ethnography, he collected a huge amount of material about the virtually unstudied tribe of Greenlandic Eskimos. He was always a useful and tireless worker. On Piri’s side stood the Arctic Club, created by him back in 1898 and bearing his name. The club included wealthy and very influential people: the president of the American Museum of Natural History, the president of the largest bank in America, a railroad magnate, a newspaper owner and many others. For ten years they subsidized all of Robert Peary's expeditions. You could say they bet on him. His success was at the same time their success, his laurels partly their laurels. But what are ephemeral laurels! His success promised them very real dividends. It is quite obvious that the Arctic Club unconditionally sided with Piri; moreover, it put its influence, its money, and most of the American press on Piri’s side. In 1911, after much debate, the lower house of the US Congress adopted a resolution, which was soon signed by the president. Peary was awarded the rank of rear admiral and commended on behalf of Congress for his Arctic explorations, which culminated in reaching the North Pole. Robert Peary was given many honors during his lifetime. However, neither Cook nor Peary could provide comprehensive evidence of reaching the pole. Such evidence could be, first of all, ocean depths measured in the polar region (they could be verified subsequently), or multiple repeated astronomical definitions carried out on drifting ice independently of each other by several expedition members and preferably with several instruments. However, neither Cook nor Peary were able to measure the depth of the ocean in the polar region and make full-fledged astronomical determinations. Cook was accompanied by two Eskimos, but they, naturally, did not know how to use a sextant. Many members of Peary's expedition were quite experienced navigators, but none of them reached the Pole. More precisely, Piri did not take any of them to the Pole. He sent Captain Bartlett, the head of the advance detachment, back from latitude 87°47" when only 133 miles remained to the Pole. In the book The North Pole, Robert Peary writes: For a long time I looked after the mighty figure of the captain. She became smaller and smaller and finally disappeared behind the snow-white sparkling hummocks. I was inexpressibly sad that I had to part with best friend and an invaluable companion, always cheerful, calm and wise, to whose lot fell the hardest work of paving the way for our parties.

One of the historical geographers, quoting these words, remarked quite rightly: One can only be surprised at Piri’s hypocrisy. Indeed, Peary always sought to ensure that no white could lay claim to his fame. On the way to the Pole, he was accompanied by four Eskimos and a mulatto bodyguard, Met Henson. Later, at a meeting of a congressional commission, he will declare quite frankly: The Pole is the goal of my whole life. And therefore, I did not consider that I should share the achievement of this goal with a person, perhaps capable and worthy, but still young and who had devoted only a few years of his life to this. Honestly, I don't think he has the same rights as me. Robert Peary's recordings have raised and continue to raise many questions. First, it was established that the pole photographs presented by Peary as evidence of his victory were not taken at the pole. Secondly, the speed of its movement on drifting ice cannot but cause surprise. Robert Peary in 1906 was able to reach a speed of 25.9 kilometers per day, Frederick Cook on his way to the Pole traveled an average of 27.6 kilometers per day, Captain Bartlett, returning lightly to Cape Columbia, 28.9 kilometers. A simple calculation shows that in order to reach the pole in eighteen days and return to Cape Columbia, Piri, after parting with the auxiliary detachment, had to travel 50 (!) kilometers per day in 1909. This speed seems absolutely incredible. Piri himself explained his phenomenal speed by the fact that on the way back his detachment followed the same trail along which it moved to the Pole. However, such an explanation immediately raises new questions. Nowadays, the American Theon Wright has conducted a detailed analysis of documents and materials related to the history of the dispute between Peary and Cook. His book The Big Nail was published in our country. Theon Wright could not help but be confused by the inconsistencies in Piri’s descriptions, and after studying everything and everyone, he comes to the conclusion: All together shows that only one conclusion is possible: Piri was not at the Pole, and his reports about the last campaign are a complete hoax. However, not everyone accepts Wright's point of view. Disputes between supporters of Piri and Cook continue to this day. And probably only American researchers can finally resolve this dispute; they have access to the materials and documents of their compatriots. Having shown undoubted courage and the greatest perseverance in achieving the goal, Piri did not want, could not admit his defeat. It is significant that, having returned to the ship, he did not even notify the expedition members about reaching the pole.

Apparently, the plan to falsify the records only arose when Peary learned from the Eskimos about Cook's success. Before that, he could still hope to honestly repeat the attempt, for example, next year. But the news of his opponent’s achievement became for Piri the downfall of everything to which he had dedicated his life. And then ambition won in him... Peary died in Washington on February 20, 1920 after a long illness.

Robert Peary is best known for being the first to visit the North Pole. He worked towards this achievement all his life, performing one task after another with obsessive dedication.

Early life

Robert Peary was born on May 6, 1856. His hometown was Cresson, which is located near Pittsburgh. He also studied at East Coast, where he went to serve in navy USA. Army duty threw him into Latin America, including to Panama and Nicaragua, where at that time the Americans tried to build the Nicaraguan Canal to simplify navigation between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

But with real passion and passion young man was North. At that time, the topic of the Arctic excited the scientific community and simply adventure lovers who wanted to be on the edge of the world. Almost all the years of Robert Peary's life (1856 - 1920) were devoted to polar exploration. Only 15 years were spent among the Eskimos. Even the discoverer's daughter Mary was born on the expedition.

First expeditions

In 1886, he first went to the North, ending up in Greenland. Travel around this island was organized using dog sleds. Piri was such an adventurer that he wanted to cross the island alone. However, his Danish friend convinced the young researcher. Instead, they set out together, leaving about a hundred miles, or 160 kilometers, behind. At that time, it was the second longest voyage on the “green island”. Robert Peary wanted to improve his result, but already in 1888 Greenland was conquered by Fridtjof Nansen.

After this, the polar explorer became obsessed with the idea of ​​reaching the North Pole, which had never been conquered by anyone. In order not to die on the first expedition, Piri consistently studied survival skills in harsh conditions for several years. climatic conditions Far North. To do this, he studied the life of the Eskimos. Later, the aborigines of this people will help the researcher in his difficult journeys.

The exotic experience was not in vain. Robert completely abandoned the usual equipment for Europeans and Americans. Even before this, many expeditions died due to unpreparedness for critical temperatures during their stay at the sites. Tents and bags were used there, which were defenseless against arctic winds and disasters. The Eskimos instead built snow shelters, or igloos. Robert Peary adopted their experience. The biography of the discoverer says that this man borrowed a lot from the indigenous inhabitants of the North.

Innovations

The first attempt to reach the North Pole was made in 1895. Before this, there were several more trips to Greenland, where Piri gained experience and knowledge about survival in harsh conditions North. He created a system of transit points to simplify the expedition's communication. As for transport, dogs were preferred, and their number was invariably greater than required.

Robert very carefully selected equipment, guided by the rule that on a hike you need to take only what has minimal weight and can bring maximum benefit. Extra things could turn out to be a burden, slowing down the researcher, and in the North every hour is expensive, since the weather regularly changed with enviable surprise, and life support resources were calculated minute by minute.

It was also important psychological work within the team of polar explorers. Piri adopted the experience of army discipline. During his expeditions, the authority of the chief was unshakable. The orders given to them were carried out immediately, thanks to which it was possible to avoid deviations from the solution of the assigned tasks.

Goal - North Pole

All this knowledge and skills were applied in 1895, but that attempt was unsuccessful. In addition, many suffered from frostbite, including Robert Peary himself. The North Pole deprived him of eight toes, which had to be amputated.

The second attempt took place only five years later - in 1900, when Piri was able to improve his health and resolve organizational issues. This time he managed to move further, but he never reached his goal.

Conquest of the North Pole

In 1908, Peary's sixth Arctic expedition was organized. This was his third attempt to conquer. A team of Americans and native Greenlanders took part in the campaign. The months-long journey to the goal included a long winter on the ice. After certain sections of the route, some participants returned to Mainland to report the results. Slowly but surely Robert Peary made his way to his goal. What he discovered became clear on April 6, 1909, when his men planted a striped star flag in the snow, in the place where, according to calculations, the pole was. The team stayed here for 30 hours, after which they turned towards home. The return took place on September 21, 1909.

The traveler died in 1920, covered in glory. Shortly before this, the US government made him a rear admiral.

Peary Robert Edwin (1856-1920), American polar explorer, admiral (1911). In 1892 and 1895 he crossed Greenland. On April 6, 1909 he reached the North Pole by dog ​​sled.

Peary Robert Edwin - polar explorer, admiral (1911). In 1892 and 1895 he crossed Greenland. On April 6, 1909, he reached the North Pole area by dog ​​sled.

Five times Piri walked to the top of the planet and five times he was forced to turn back. Either unfreezing open water or impassable hummocks stopped him.

In the intervals between expeditions, he returned to his homeland in the USA for a year or two. He returned only to prepare a new expedition. In total, he lived among the Eskimos in the far north of Greenland for a decade and a half.

Peary was born in Cresson Springs, Pennsylvania on May 8, 1856. After finishing high school in Portland, he was accepted to Baudouin College in Brunswick.

After graduating from college, Peary worked as a draftsman for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey (Washington). Soon he transferred to the naval department and received the rank of lieutenant. Three years later he is sent to Nicaragua. In the tropical forests, he carried out surveys of the canal route across the isthmus. After completing this work, the Ministry granted Peary several months of leave, and he unexpectedly left for Greenland.

In June 1886, the whaling ship Eagle landed Peary at Godhaven. Piri had not yet seriously thought about conquering the Pole. His plans were more modest: crossing Greenland from the west coast to the east.

At that time, the interior of Greenland remained a blank spot on maps. There was an opinion that glaciers only border the island, and behind them there should be exposed rocky areas with a milder climate, even covered with forests.

Piri was unable to succeed. In 26 days, his detachment managed to advance less than 100 miles into the depths of the icy desert. But the Greenland expedition made his name, and he himself became hopelessly “sick” of the North.

In 1891 he again went to Greenland. He formulated his goal as follows: “...to reach and determine the northern border of Greenland by land, that is, to cross the internal ice.” But on the approaches to the wintering place, a piece of ice jammed the ship's rudder, and the heavy iron tiller spun sharply. The blow hit Piri in the legs. “A fracture of both bones above the ankle,” determined the expedition doctor F. Cook.

Within a month and a half, Piri personally participates in the delivery of food warehouses, which should provide for the next year's sleigh trips. And in the spring, Piri went on a hike and walked along the ice sheet for more than 2000 kilometers, crossing Greenland twice in its northern part.

In January 1899, Piri, preparing a throw to the Pole, decided to abandon an auxiliary food warehouse in the darkest time of the polar night. His detachment will fight its way to Fort Conger for a week. At Fort Conger, the ship's doctor, Thomas Dedrick, amputates his 8 frostbitten toes, and again the detachment will fight its way into the night - now back to the Windward's parking lot. He was carried on sledges for 11 days. And a month after the amputation, he will again go to Fort Conger... on crutches. Whatever it is, in the spring they must go to the Pole! The haste is explained by the fact that he wanted to get ahead of the Norwegian Otto Sverdrup...

In 1892, in his report to the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, Peary described Dr. Cook as "an indefatigable student of the strange people among whom we happen to live," but Cook himself was not allowed to publish an article on ethnographic research.

Robert Peary devoted his entire life to fulfilling his dream of conquering the Pole. Piri is already over fifty, but he does not want to put up with failure. He had a feeling that conquering the top of the planet was destined for him by fate. Roosevelt calls Peary the national hope.

At the end of February 1909, a huge caravan leaves Cape Columbia: 19 sledges, 133 dogs, 24 people. On March 1, Robert Piri himself will start in the rearguard...

The world knew nothing about Piri’s fate until the fall of 1909. Only on September 7, a victorious telegram arrived in Europe: “The stars and stripes have been driven into the pole!” As you can imagine, the “stars and stripes” are the American flag that Peary said he planted at the Pole on April 6, 1909.

On the day that Peary's telegram reached Europe, the conqueror of the North Pole... Dr. Frederick Cook was already being honored in Copenhagen! He claimed to have reached the top of the planet on April 21, 1908.

It seemed that Cook and Peary would rightfully share the honor and glory of discoverers among themselves. But Piri could not come to terms with the fact that he was “only second.” He was too accustomed to consider the pole his property. Already one of Peary’s first telegrams was a declaration of war: “Please note that Cook simply deceived the public. He was not at the Pole either on April 21, 1908, or at any other time...” And a scandal broke out - unprecedented in the history of geographical discoveries .

On Piri’s side stood the Arctic Club, created by him back in 1898 and bearing his name. The club included wealthy and very influential people: the president of the American Museum of Natural History, the president of the largest bank in America, a railroad magnate, a newspaper owner and many others. For ten years they subsidized all of Robert Peary's expeditions. You could say they bet on him. His success was at the same time their success, his laurels partly their laurels. But what are ephemeral laurels! His success promised them very real dividends.

In 1911, after much debate, the lower house of the US Congress adopted a resolution, which was soon signed by the president. Peary was awarded the rank of rear admiral and on behalf of Congress, gratitude was declared “for his Arctic research, which culminated in reaching the North Pole.”

However, neither Cook nor Peary could provide comprehensive evidence of reaching the pole.

They could be data on ocean depths measured in the polar region (they could be verified subsequently), or multiple repeated astronomical determinations carried out on drifting ice independently of each other by several members of the expedition and preferably with several instruments.

However, neither Cook nor Peary were able to measure the depth of the ocean in the polar region and make full-fledged astronomical determinations.

Cook was accompanied by two Eskimos, but they, naturally, did not know how to use a sextant.

Many members of Piri's expedition were experienced navigators, but Piri did not take one of them to the Pole. He sent Captain Bartlett, the head of the advance detachment, back from latitude 87°47", when only 133 miles remained to the Pole. Peary always strived to ensure that no "white" could lay claim to his glory. On the way to the Pole, he was accompanied by four Eskimos and mulatto servant Met Henson.

Robert Peary's recordings have raised and continue to raise many questions. First, it was established that the "pole" photographs presented by Peary as proof of his victory were not taken at the pole. Secondly, the speed of its movement on drifting ice cannot but cause surprise.

Peary in 1906 was able to reach a speed of 25.9 kilometers per day, Cook on his way to the Pole traveled an average of 27.6 kilometers per day, Captain Bartlett, returning lightly to Cape Columbia, 28.9 kilometers.

A simple calculation shows that in order to reach the pole in eighteen days and return to Cape Columbia, Piri had to travel 50 (!) kilometers per day in 1909. This speed seems absolutely incredible.

Nowadays, the American Theon Wright has conducted a detailed analysis of documents and materials related to the history of the dispute between Peary and Cook. His book "The Big Nail" was published in our country. He comes to the conclusion: “All together shows that only one conclusion is possible: Peary was not at the Pole, and his reports about the last campaign are a complete hoax.”

However, not everyone accepts Wright's point of view. Disputes between supporters of Piri and Cook continue to this day. And probably only American researchers can finally resolve this dispute - they have access to the materials and documents of their compatriots.

Having shown courage and perseverance in achieving his goal, Piri was unable to admit defeat. It is significant that, upon returning to the ship, he did not even notify the expedition members that he had reached the pole. Apparently, the plan to falsify the records arose when Peary learned from the Eskimos about Cook's success. Peary died in Washington on February 20, 1920, after a long illness.

Robert Edwin Peary was born on May 6, 1856 in the American city of Cresson, Pennsylvania. In 1877 he graduated from college and received an engineering degree. Shortly after graduation, Peary joined the US Navy and served briefly in Nicaragua.

The beginning of the journey

The future conqueror of the North Pole set off on his first Arctic expedition in 1886. This was a trial trip to Greenland, lasting only three months. Piri set a goal for himself: to be the first to cross this island, but he failed to do so. The first person to cross Greenland was the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen in 1888. Piri himself managed to do this only in 1892. And if in 1886 he acted as a private individual, this time he was supported by the American Geographical Society and the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences. This expedition also included physician Frederick Cook, Peary's future rival for the title of first man to reach the North Pole.

Based on the results of these early travels, the American explorer formulates several rules that later contributed to the success of his expeditions. So, he carefully studies the experience of the Eskimos in surviving in arctic conditions, and then abandons tents and sleeping bags. Instead, Piri uses domed houses - igloos - built from snow blocks. In addition, he developed a system of transshipment bases where food supplies were left.

Forward to the Pole!

In 1895, Peary made another trip to Greenland, and for the first time attempted to reach the North Pole. During this expedition, the American explorer lost 8 toes due to frostbite and for 11 days could only move on a sleigh. But although no difficulties could break his will, he was never able to reach the northernmost point of the planet. But his prey was meteorites brought from Greenland. In honor of the huge Aniguito meteorite, which the researcher brought to New York, his daughter Mary Aniguito Piri received her middle name.

In 1905, a new expedition took place, which also did not bring the desired success. But this time Piri went further than all his predecessors and set a record - 87°06`` northern latitude. Only strong storms prevented him from moving forward.

The US Navy took over Peary's last expedition to the North Pole. President Theodore Roosevelt, bidding farewell to the explorer, called him the hope of the nation, and it is not surprising, because by this time many countries of the world were taking part in the race for the North Pole.

The expedition started on June 6, 1908, and on April 6, 1909, 52-year-old Robert Peary reached his goal and planted the Stars and Stripes over the northernmost point of the planet. His final detachment consisted of four Eskimos and a black servant. It is believed that this choice of companions was not accidental: Piri did not want to share the glory of the first with anyone white man who set foot on the North Pole.

Controversy with Frederick Cook

The expedition's return journey was quite easy, but the researcher was able to give a telegram about his achievement only in September 1909. Here Peary was in for an unpleasant surprise: it turned out that shortly before him a similar telegram had been sent by another American, Frederick Cook. Moreover, Dr. Cook claimed that he reached the pole almost a whole year earlier. Peary was shocked and outraged, he claimed that his opponent had never been to the North Pole. A real scandal broke out, as a result of which Cook was recognized as a fraudster. In 1911, Robert Peary was promoted to rear admiral and became a national hero.

However, neither Cook nor Peary could provide sufficient evidence for their discovery. Moreover, the recognition of Piri’s merits was largely due to the fact that the Arctic Club he created, which included many influential people in the country, including newspaper owners, took his side. There is even an opinion that Piri decided on a grandiose falsification only when he learned that Cook had preceded him.

However, for the rest of his life, Robert Peary received a government pension and enjoyed many privileges. He died on February 20, 1920 in Washington. The cause of his death was a long illness.