1926 : Roald Amundsen, Lincoln Ellsworth, Umberto Nobile and 11 others, travelling aboard the dirigible Norge, took off from Svalbard and landed in Alaska after flying over the pole on 13th May. Since this date, another dirigible and numerous aeroplanes have flown over the pole.
(The first crossing of the Polar Sea, by Amundsen and Ellsworth, George H. Doran, N.Y., 1927).

1937 : Ivan Papanin (USSR) and several companions, having left from the Franz-Josef archipelago, landed at 89°43' N and established the first drifting base on 21st May. Papanin, Evgueny Fedorov, Petr Chirchov and Ernest Krenkel were picked up on 19th February 1938 close to Scoresby Sound.
(Sur la Banquise en dérive, by Papanin, Albin Michel, 1948).

1948 : Three LI 2 aircraft, piloted by Ivan Cherevichny, Kotov and Vitali Maslennikov, with four scientists as passengers, Pavel Gordiyenko, Pavel Seneko, Mikhaïl Somov and Mikhefl Ostrekin (USSR), landed at 90° N on 23rd April. Since this date, numerous planes have landed at 90° N.
(Sur les derniers parallèles, by Savva Morosov, 1956 and Die Polarforschung der Sowjetunion by Gordiyenko, Econ, Düsseldorf-Wien, 1967).

1949 : Vitali Volovitch and Andrei Medvedev (USSR) jumped by parachute on the Pole on 9th May. Since this date, numerous parachutists have jumped over the Pole. (Wings over Arctic, by M. Vodopyanov, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow).

1958 : John Anderson (USA) and the crew of the nuclear submarine USS Nautilus passed 90° N submerged on 3rd August.

1961 : James Calvert (USA) and the crew of the nuclear submarine USS Skate surfaced at 90° N on 17th March. Since this date, numerous submarines have passed by the pole, some of them surfacing.
(Surface at the Pole, by Calvert, Hutchinson, London, 1961).

1964 : Bjom Staib, Hans Oddvik, Sivert Flottum, Steinar Laugen, Egil Seines and Teje Staib (Norway), leaving Alert on 29th March, reached the Arlis II drifting base at 86° 31' N on 8th May by dog-sled.
(On skis toward the North Pole, by Staib, Doubleday & Co, N.Y., 1965).

1967 : Ralph Plaisted, Gerald Pitzl, Bob Clemens, Jean-Luc Bombardier and Art Aufderheide, leaving on skidoos on 28th March from Ward-Hunt, abandoned their journey on 4th May at 83°36' N.
(To the top of the World: the adventures and misadventures of the Plaisted Polar Expedition, March 28th - May 4th, 1967 by Charles Kuralt, N.Y., 1968).

1968 : Ralph Plaisted, Gerald Pitzl, Jean-Luc Bombardier and Walt Pederson, leaving from Ward-Hunt on 8th March, reached 90° N on 19th April with air assistance and the help of skidoos.

1968 : Hugh Simpson, his wife Myrtle and other companions, leaving from Ward-Hunt pulling their own sledge, reached 84°42' N on 26th March, before returning.

1969 : Wally Herbert, Kenneth Hedges, Allan Gili and Roy (Fritz) Koemer, (G.B.) reached 90º N on 5th April 1969 during their crossing from Pointe Barrow (Alaska 21st February 1968) to Svalbard (Sme Blackboard Isl., 29th May 1969) with the aid of dog-sleds.
(Beyond the top of the world, by Herbert, Berger-Levrault, 1974,
North Pole, by Herbert, Sackett & Marshall, London, 1978).

1971 : Guido Monzino, Mirko Minuzzo, Rinaldo Carrel, Arturo Aranda (Chili), Knud Erik Möller, Allan Kok Sörensen (Dan.) and 13 Inuits (Peter Peary, the grandson of Robert Peary, Talilanguaq Peary Peter's half-brother, Asiayuk Sandorana, Kulutarguak Jeremiassen, Thomas Kiviok, Anaukak Kumangapik, Paul Sikensen, &avionguak K'issuk, Aiako Mitek, Ungak Kuyaukitsok, Avatak Hensen, Bebn Pedersen, Avatak K'aernyak), leaving from Cape Columbia on 2nd April with the aid of dog-sleds (300), reached 90° N on 19th May, with re-supplies and continued to the T3 drifting base (85°04'N), which they reached on 11th June.

1977 : Ranulph Fiennes, Oliver Shepard, Geoffrey Newman and Charles Burton, leaving from Belknap Cape (Ellesmere), reached 87° 11.5' N by skidoo, with re-supplies.
(Hell on Ice, by Fiennes, Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1979).

1977 : Yuriy Kuchiyev (USSR) and crew of atomic ice-breaker Arktika, leaving from Murmansk, reached 90° N on 17th August.

1978 : Kaneshige Ikeda, 3 companions (Japan) and Peter Peary (Inuk, grandson of Robert Peary), leaving from Cape Columbia using dog-sleds, reached 90° N on 28th April, with re-supplies.

1978 : Naomi Uemura (Japan), leaving alone with a dog-sled from Cape Columbia on 6th March, reached 90° N on 29th April, with 7 re-supplies from the air.

1979 : Dmitri Shparo, Yuri Khemelevsky, Vladimir Ledenev, Anatoly Melnikov, Vassily Shishkarev, Vladimir Rakmanov, Vadim Davidov, (USSR), leaving from Henrietta Island on 16th March, reached 90° N, on 31st May on skis but without a sledge, with 4 re-supplies.
(On skis to the North Pole, by Vladimir Snegiryev, Sphinx Press, N.Y., 1985).

1982 : Ragnar Thorseth, Trygve Berge, Jom Eldar Fortun (Norway) and Ekakak Amagoalik (Inuk), leaving by snowmobile from Eureka on 4th March, passed Cape Fanshawe Martin on 23rd March and reached 90° N on 29th April.
(Ferden mot Nordpolen, by Thorseth, Hjemmets, Oslo, 1982).

1982 : Ranulph Fiennes, Charles Burton and one companion (G.B.), leaving from Cape Columbia, reached 90° N on 11th April, with snowmobiles and re-supplies.

1984 : Jussi Kauma and 5 companions (Finland), reached 90° N on 20th May, hauling their pulkas, with re-supplies.

1986 : Dmitri Shparo, Anatoly Fediakov, Yuri Khemelevski, Alexandre Rozoumienko, Mikhail Malakhov, Fedor Konyukov, Alexandre Bielaiev, Vassily Shishkarev, Vladimir Ledenev, Vaiery Kondratko, Anatoly Melnikov, leaving on 29th January from the PN-26 drifting base (82°N-174°55'W), reached the furthest point of inaccessibility on 15th February and reached the PN-27 drifting base (85°14'N- 147°E) on 7th March, on skis, carrying their equipment and with one re-supply.
(Dans la nuit polaire, sur les glaces flottantes, article by Shparo).

1986 : Will Steger, Ann Bancroft, Paul Schurke, Geoff Carroll, (USA), Brent Boddy and Richard Weber (Canada), leaving with dog-sleds from Drep Camp (Ellesmere) on 8th March, reached 90° N on 2nd May with two sets of assistance (one to evacuate Robert McKerrow, the other to evacuate some dogs).
(North to the North Pole, by Steger and Schurke, Times Books, N.Y., 1987 and
On top of the world, by Ann Bancroft, Dorthy Wenzel).

1986 : Jean-Louis Etienne, leaving alone from Ward-Hunt on 9th March, reached 90° N on 11th May with 5 re-supplies.
(Le marcheur du pole, by Etienne, Laffont, Paris, 1987).

1987 : S. Kazama (Japan) reached 90° N by motorcycle, with assistance by snowmobile and re-supplies.

1987 : Vladimir Chukov and 9 companions, leaving from Cape Arktichevsky, reached 87°37'N after 26 days unaided.

1987 : Hubert de Chevigny and Nicolas Hulot reached 90° N on 4th May 1987 by microlight.

1988 : Dimitri Shparo (USSR), Alexandre Beliaev, Fedor Konyukov, Vladimir Ledenev, Mikhail Malakhov, Anatoly Melnikov, Anatoly Fediakov, Yuri Khmelevsky, Vassily Shishkarev (USSR) and Richard Weber, Laufie Dexter, Christopher Holloway, Max Buxton (Canada), leaving from Cape Arkticheskiy, reached 90° N at the end of April, then went on to Cape Columbia (in 91 days) on foor, with re-supplies.
(Lignia Tcheres severni polius, by B.Mestriakov, Krasnoyarsk, 1993).

1989 : Vladimir Chukov, Sergey Pechenegov, Andrey Podriadchikov, Yuri Egorov, Valery Loscits, Alex Vykhristiuk and Fedor Konyukov, (USSR), leaving from Smith Island (SI-11 N-91'20'E) on 4th March, reached 90º N on 6th May, on foot, pulling their own sledge, with 2 sets of assistance (to evacuate 6 other members of the expedition).

1989 : Masako Izumi (Japan) reached 90° N by skidoo, with re-supplies.

1989 : Robert Swan (G.B.), Mikhail Malakhov (USSR), Ruppert Summerson (G.B.), Darryl E. Roberts (USA), Hiro Onishi (Japan), Graeme Joy (Austr.), Arved Fuchs (Ali.) and Angus Kaanerk Cockney (Inuk, Canada), leaving Cape Aldrich (Ellesmere) on 20th March, reached 90° N on 14th May, on foot, pulling their own sledge, with re-supplies.
(Icewalk, by Swan, Jonathan Cape, London, 1990).

1990 : Vladimir Chukov, Victor larovoy, Valery Loscits, Andrey Podriadchikov and Vladimir Kaushan (USSR), leaving from Cape Arktichevsky on 10th March, reaching 90° N on 15th May, on foot, pulling their own sledge, with one assistance (to evacuate March Baigildin).
1990: Feodor Konyukov, leaving from Cape Arktichevsky on 2nd March, reaching 90° N on 5th May, along and pulling his own sledge, although with one 200 km "tow" by helicopter.

1990 : Borge Ousland and Erling Kagge (Norway), leaving from Ward-Hunt on 8th March, reaching 90° N on 4th May, on foot pulling their own sledge, with one assistance (to evacuate Geir Randby).
(North Polenpar Kagge, Cappelen, Oslo, 1990).

1990 : Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud (G.B.), leaving from Cape Arktichevsky reaching 88° N in 47 days of marching without being re-supplied, before giving up on account of a lack of food.

1991 : Y. Hou Choi (Korea) reached 90° N, on foot, pulling his own sledge, with re-supplies.

1991 : Anatoly Gorshkovskiy (USSR), the crew and passengers aboard thr atomic ice-breaker Sovetskiy Soyuz, during their crossing of the Arctic Ocean from Murmansk to Provideniya, reaching 90° N on 4th August.

1992 : Martyn Williams, Mike Mc Dowell (Canada), Sjur and Simen Mordre (Noway), leaving from Ward-Hunt, reaching 90° N on 4th May, with dogs and re-supplies.

1992 : Richard Weber (Canada) and Mikhaïl Malakhov (USSR), leaving from Ward-Hunt on 13th March, reaching 89° 39' N on 14th June and returning in the direction of Cape Columbia (evacuated at 88°50' N on 21st June) on foot, pulling their own sledges and without re-supply.
(Polar Attack, by Weber and Malakhov, M&S, Toronto, 1996).

1992 : Willy Gautvik and Per Einar Bakke (Norway), leaving from the Russian side, reaching 90° N on 12th May on foot, pulling their own sledge, with re-supplies and assistance (in particular to evacuate Arild Vegrim, who had a back injury, who then parachuted back to expedition). They continued towards Canada, but were picked up at 88° 05' N on the Canadian side on 3rd June.

1994 : Borge Ousland (Norway), leaving from Cape Arkticheskiy on 2nd March, reaching 90° N on 23rd April, alone and without assistance.
(Alone to the North Pole, by Ousland, Cappelens Fortag, Oslo, 1994).

1994 : Mitsuro Ohba (Japan), leaving from Arktichevsky on 23rd February, reaching 89° N before giving up after numerous mishaps (bear, falling in the water, loss of skis, etc.).

1994 : Alain Hubert and Didier Goetghebuer (Belgium) leaving from Cape Columbia on 6th March, reaching 90° N on 18th April, on foot, pulling their own sledge, with one re-supply.
(L'enfer blanc, by Hubert, Dansercoer and Brent, Labor, Brussels, 1994). (see our pages)

1994 : Vladimir Chukov, Victor Russkiy, Ivan Ialin, Boris Malyshev, Vasily Ryjkov, Ivan Kujelivsky, Valery Taiakin and Victor Sharnin (Russia) leaving from Cape Arktichevsky on 15th March, reaching 90° N on 17th May, on foot, pulling their own sledge, without assistance.

1994 : David Mitchell, Steve Martin and Clive Johnson (G.B.), leaving from Henrietta Island on 19th February, were picked up 25 days later after travelling about 100 km.
(The Devil's Labyrinth, by Johnson, Swan Hill, Shrewsbury, 1995).

1995 : Richard Weber and Mikhaïl Malakhov (Canada and Russia), leaving from Ward-Hunt on 14th February reaching 90'N on 12th May and returning to Ward-Hunt on 15th June on foot, pulling their own sledge, without assistance.
(Polar Attack, by Weber and Malakhov, M&S, Toronto, 1996).

1995 : Will Steger (USA), Victor Boyarsky (Russia), Martin Hignell (G.B.), Takako Takano (Jap.) and Julie Hanson (USA) reaching 90° N on 21st April after being dropped off at 85°30' N on 2nd April and reaching Ward Hunt on 3rd July, with dogs and re-supplies.

1995 : Young-ho Heo, Gi-chan Jang, Beum-taek Kim, Sung-hwan Kim and Keun-bae Lee (Korea), leaving from Cape Arktichevsky, reaching 90° N and reaching Ward Hunt on 19th June, after a crossing of 99 days, on foot, and with re-supplies

1995 : Marek Kaminski and Wojtek Moskal (Poland), leaving from Cape Colombia on 14th March, reaching 90° N on 23rd May, on foot, pulling their own sledge, without assistance.

1996 : François Bernard, Antoine Cayrol, Antoine de Choudens and Bernard Virelaude (France) leaving from Cape Arktichevsky on 28th February. reaching 90° N on 23rd April, on foot, pulling their own sledge, without assistance.

1997 : Christine Janin and Sergeï Ogorodnikov, leaving from Cape Arktichevsky (81°33' N) on 3rd March, reaching 90° N on 4th May, pulling their own sledge, with re-supplies.
(Objectif Pôle Nord, by Janin, Albin Michel, Paris, 1997)

1997 : Mitsuro Ohba (Japan), leaving alone, pulling his own sledge, from Cape Arktichevsky on 25th February, reaching 89° 57' N on 3rd May, without re-supplies, and continued on towards the Cape Columbia, which he reached on 24th June, after 121 days and 4 re-supplies.

1997 : Steve Martin and David Mitchell (UK), leaving from Cape Arktichevsky (81°38' N) on 3rd March, reaching 90° N, without assistance and pulling their own sledge.

1997 : Hyoichy Kohno (Japan), leaving from Cape Colombia, reaching 90° N on 2nd May, along, pulling his own sledge, with re-supplies.

1997 : 4 Dutchmen, leaving from Cape Columbia, reaching 90° N on 20th May, pulling their own sledge, with re-supplies (including one to evacuate one of the expedition members).

1997 : Nobu Narita, Atsushi Miyagawa (Japan) and David Scott (New Zealand), leaving from Ward Hunt, reaching 90° N on 31st May after 90 days, pulling their own sledge, with assistance (to send in a new computer).

1997 : A team of 20 women (GB) led by Matty McNair and Denise Martin (Canada), who both covered the entire route) leaving from Ward Hunt Island on 13th March, in a relay (5 x 4) and reaching 90° N on 26th May.
(On thin ice, Mary Nicholson, Matty McNair and Frigid women, Sue and Victoria Riches, Travellerseye, UK, 1998).

1998 : David Hempleman-Adams (G.B.) and Rune Gjeldnes (Norway), leaving from Ward-Hunt Island reaching 90° N on 5th May, pulling their own sledge, with re-supplies.
(Walking on thin ice: in Pursuit of the North Pole, by Hempleman-Adams and Robert Uhlig, Orion Books, 1998).

1998 : Vladimir Chukov, Valery Kochanov, Ivan Kuzelivsky (Russia) and Peter Valasiak (Slovakia) leaving from Cape Arktichevsky on 23rd February, reaching 90° N on 8th May with assistance (to evacuate Sergeï) and, after being re-supplied at the pole, continued on to Ward Hunt, arriving on 20th June, pulling their own sledge, without assistance from the pole.

1999 : Rarnon Larramendi, Francisco Gan, Benito Molina (Francisco Soria and Javier Barba partially) (Spain), leaving from Cape Arktichevsky (81° 41 N) on 27th February, reaching 90° N on 28th April, pulling their own sledge, with a number of re-supplies.

2000 : Torry Larsen and Rune Gjeldnes (Norway) leaving from Cape Arktichevsky on 15th February, reaching 90° N on 29th April and continuing on to Cape Discovery (83°04'44" N -), arriving on 3rd June, pulling their own sledges, without assistance.
(Dead Men Walking, From Siberia across the North Pole to Canada in 109 days, by Gjeldnes and Larsen, 2001).

2000 : Arnaud Tortel and Rodolph André (France) leaving from Cape Arktichevsky on 27th February, reaching 90° N on 29th April, pulling their own sledges and with assistance (to replace their sledges). They continued on towards Ward-Hunt Island, but had to give up in June at 85°30' N, as Tortel had been injured in a fall. (see our pages)

2000 : Ola Skinnarmo (Suède) leaving from Cape Arktichevsky on 27th February, reaching 90° N on 14th April, pulling his own sledge and with one assistance (to evacuate Goran Kropp, frozen thumb).

2000 : Paul Landry and Paul Crowley (Canada), leaving from Ward-Hhunt Island on 1st March, reaching 90° N on 13th April, with dog-sleds and without assistance, and returning to 88° N from where they were evacuated on 18th April.

2000 : Haraldur Örn Ólafson, leaving on 11th March from Ward-Hunt lsland, reaching 90° N on 10th May, pulling his own sledge, with one assistance (to evacuate Ingpor Bjarnason, frozen feet, 15 days after departing) (see our pages)

2000 : Per Nordström and Magnus Persson (Sweden), leaving from Ward-hunt Island on 10th March, reaching 90° N on 21st April, pulling their own sledges and with assistance (to evacuate Henrik Runell).

2000 : Dave Mill first attempted the route from Ward Hunt - North Pole: leaving on 9th April in the hope of being the first person to conquer the North Pole without outside assistance, he had to give up after 50 days on 24th May. He was low on fuel, food and batteries. (see our pages)

2000 : Alan Chambers and Charlie Paton (U.K.) leaving from Ward Hunt, arriving after 67 days at 90° N on 17th May, pulling their own sledges and with assistance (to evacuate Jason Garland and Paul Jones, suffering from frostbite).

2001 : Borge Ousland, leaving on 3rd March from Cape Artichevsky, reaching 90° N on 23rd April, with re-supplies, he continued on to Ward-Hunt lsld. which he reached on 23rd May, without assistance from the pole onwards, pulling his own sledge and assisted by a parafoil (best day: 72 km in 24 hours).
(see our pages)

2001 : Paul Landry (Canada), Mike and Fiona Thomewill, and Catherine Hartley (UK), leaving on 11th March from Ward-Hunt. reaching 90° N on 5th May, with dog-sleds and two re-supplies. (see our pages)

2001 : Pen Hadow and Ben Saunders (UK), leaving on 14th March from Cape Arktichevsky (81°33' N), were evacuated at 86°43'N on 29th April. (see our pages)

2001 : Dave Mill, leaving from Ward-Hunt lsld on 12th April, was evacuated at 87° on 25th May. (see our pages)

2001 : Hyoichi Kohno, dropped off at the North Pole on 26th March, was picked up at 89° on 1st April (frostbite to the face and extremities) and dropped off again on 20th April at 88°. He was drowned on 21st May, in sight of Ward-Hunt. (see our pages)