Who was the first person to reach the South Pole (December 14, 1911)? This Norwegian explorer led a team of 5 men and 52 dogs on skis. They arrived at the South Pole 35 days before a rival British team led by Robert Falcon Scott (who perished on the return journey). The explorer's meticulous planning, use of skis and dogs (instead of ponies and motor sledges), and experience with Arctic survival were key to his success. He had previously led the first successful navigation of the Northwest Passage (1903-1906). His team left a tent at the Pole containing a letter for the King of Norway, and a note for Scott. The explorer's most famous quote is about the "Fram" (his ship): "The Fram is the most expensive ship ever built, but she is worth every penny." He later died in a plane crash in 1928 while searching for a lost airship expedition.

Which Portuguese explorer led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe (1519-1522), though he died en route? This explorer set sail from Spain with 5 ships and 270 men. Only one ship (the Victoria) and 18 men returned, completing the first circumnavigation. The explorer himself was killed in the Philippines in 1521 during a battle with indigenous people. The expedition proved that the Earth is round and much larger than previously thought. The explorer had previously sailed to Southeast Asia via the Indian Ocean for Portugal, but he switched allegiance to Spain after being rejected by the Portuguese king. The expedition discovered the strait at the southern tip of South America that now bears his name (the Strait of [name]). He named the Pacific Ocean "Mar Pacifico" (peaceful sea) because of its calm waters after passing through the rough strait. The survivor who completed the journey was Juan Sebastián Elcano.

Which British explorer famously "discovered" the source of the Nile River at Lake Victoria in 1858? This explorer was the first European to see Lake Victoria (which he named after Queen Victoria) and correctly identified it as the Nile's primary source. He was accompanied by Richard Burton (another famous explorer). The two had a famous rivalry – Burton was ill and missed the actual discovery. The explorer famously declared "I am the first to discover the source of the Nile" (though debate continues because Lake Victoria has multiple feeder rivers). His health suffered greatly during African expeditions (he was partially blind and deaf from illness). He later led a disastrous expedition to find the source of the Congo River. He also wrote a famous book about his travels, "The Discovery of the Source of the Nile" (1863). The Egyptian government later appointed him as governor of the Equatorial Nile region. He died in 1864, the day before returning to England.

Who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (May 20-21, 1932)? This American aviator took off from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, and landed 15 hours later in Culmore, Northern Ireland. Her flight was exactly five years after Charles Lindbergh's historic solo crossing. She was also the first woman to fly across the Atlantic as a passenger (1928). She set many other aviation records: first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California, first person to fly solo from Mexico City to New York, and the first woman to fly solo across the Pacific. She mysteriously disappeared in 1937 while attempting to circumnavigate the globe (along with navigator Fred Noonan). Her disappearance remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th century. She wrote several best-selling books about her flying experiences. She was also a poet, women's rights advocate, and was awarded the US Distinguished Flying Cross.

Which one-armed Civil War veteran led the first scientific expedition through the Grand Canyon in 1869? This explorer lost his right arm at the Battle of Shiloh (1862) but continued his career as a geologist and ethnologist. He led a nine-man expedition down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in four wooden boats. The expedition lasted 98 days and traveled nearly 1,000 miles. Several men left the expedition (two were killed by Native Americans after leaving). The explorer became the first director of the US Bureau of Ethnology and the second director of the US Geological Survey. He named many features in the Grand Canyon, including the "Granite Gorge," "Bright Angel Creek," and "Vasey's Paradise." His most famous quote: "You cannot see the Grand Canyon in one view, as if it were a changeless spectacle... It is a place of many views." He also advocated for water conservation in the arid West.

Which American historian and explorer "rediscovered" Machu Picchu (the "Lost City of the Incas") in 1911? This explorer was a professor at Yale University. He was searching for the "lost city of Vilcabamba" (the last Inca stronghold) when a local farmer told him about ruins on a nearby mountain. He was led to Machu Picchu by a local boy named Pablito Alvarez. The site had never been forgotten by local Quechua people, but it was unknown to the outside world. He excavated the site from 1912-1915, sending thousands of artifacts (including mummies, pottery, and tools) to Yale University – a decision that later sparked controversy and repatriation claims from Peru. He wrote best-selling books about his discovery, including "Lost City of the Incas" (1948). He later served as a US Senator from Connecticut. Some scholars argue that German engineer Augusto Berns visited the site earlier (1867), but he did not publicize it.

Who were the first two people confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest (May 29, 1953)? One was a New Zealand beekeeper and mountaineer; the other was a Nepali-Indian Sherpa and mountaineer. They reached the summit at 11:30 AM local time. The New Zealander later said, "We knocked the bastard off." The expedition was led by Colonel John Hunt. The Sherpa had previously participated in six Everest expeditions. After the summit, the New Zealander became a philanthropist, founding the Himalayan Trust, which built schools, hospitals, and airstrips in Nepal. The Sherpa became the first Director of Field Training of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. There is controversy about whether George Mallory and Andrew Irvine reached the summit in 1924 (they disappeared near the summit), but no proof exists. The two summiteers were knighted – the New Zealander (who was already a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire) and the Sherpa (Order of the British Empire).

Who is generally credited as the first person to reach the North Pole (April 6, 1909)? This American explorer claimed to have reached the North Pole with his team of 24 men, 133 dogs, and 19 sledges. However, his claim is disputed – some believe his navigational records were flawed, and others believe he may have been 30-60 miles short. His rival, Frederick Cook, claimed to have reached the Pole a year earlier (1908), but his claim was also disputed and largely rejected. The first undisputed surface journey to the North Pole was in 1968 by Ralph Plaisted (snowmobile) and in 1969 by Wally Herbert (dogsled). This explorer also claimed to have reached the North Pole in 1908-1909. His team included Matthew Henson (an African American explorer who may have actually been the first to reach the Pole). Henson was largely unrecognized for decades because of racial discrimination. The explorer's motto was "I will find a way or make one."

Who was the first person to sail solo around the world (1960)? This Canadian-born sailor circumnavigated the globe on his 39-foot ketch "Joshua" (named after his father). He completed the 48,000 km (30,000 mile) voyage in 310 days. He did not use any modern navigation aids – only a sextant, a chronometer, and paper charts. He also did not have a radio or engine (he removed the engine before departure). He wrote a best-selling book, "The Long Way," about his journey. He later sailed solo across the Pacific at age 60, and at age 65 he attempted another circumnavigation but disappeared at sea (his boat was found empty off the coast of Brazil). His philosophy was "The only way to find the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible." He inspired a generation of solo sailors, including Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (first non-stop solo circumnavigation) and Dame Ellen MacArthur.

Who was the first person to reach the Challenger Deep (the deepest point in the ocean at 10,916 meters / 35,814 feet) on January 23, 1960? This US Navy lieutenant and his co-pilot, Jacques Piccard (Swiss), descended in the bathyscaphe "Trieste" to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The descent took 4 hours and 48 minutes. They spent only 20 minutes on the bottom because a window cracked from the immense pressure (over 15,000 psi – equivalent to 1,100 times atmospheric pressure). They observed small flatfish (proving that life exists at extreme depths) and shrimp. No human has returned to the Challenger Deep until filmmaker James Cameron (2012) solo. This explorer later served as the first director of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. Jacques Piccard was the son of Auguste Piccard, who invented the bathyscaphe. The pressure at the bottom is so high that the Trieste's hull compressed by 1.5 inches during the descent.