Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (October 10,1861 - May 13, 1930) was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater. He studied zoology and worked as a curator at the Bergen Museum where his research on the central nervous system of lower marine creatures earned him a doctorate and helped establish modern theories of neurology. After 1896 his main scientific interest switched to oceanography. He made many scientific cruises and contributed to the development of modern oceanographic equipment. He won international fame after reaching a record northern latitude of 86o14' during his North Pole expedition of 1893-96. Although he retired from exploration after his return to Norway, his techniques of polar travel and his innovations in equipment and clothing influenced a generation of subsequent Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. In the final decade of his life Nansen devoted himself primarily to the League of Nations. In 1922 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of the displaced victims of the First World War and related conflicts. He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1930 at the age of 68.
