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Who were the first people to reach the North Pole?

After several unsuccessful attempts, American explorer and former navy officer Robert E. Peary (1856–1920), and fellow explorer Matthew Henson (1866–1955), along with several Inuit (Eskimo) helpers reached the North Pole by dogsled on April 6, 1909. The North Pole, which lies in the center of the Arctic Ocean, is covered with shifting masses of ice. There is no land underfoot. The native people, the Inuits of Greenland, knew the best ways to survive in the Arctic. Peary gained valuable information from them during several trips to Greenland, including how to dress in furs, drive dogsleds, and build igloos. He also learned that the best time to try to reach the North Pole would be during the winter, when the ice would be the most solid.

Departing from Ellesmere Island (west of Greenland), Peary led an expedition of 23 men, 19 sleds, and 133 dogs. The...

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