FUN WITH MAPS ISSUE 2026-078

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (May 12, 2026) – This edition of Fun with Maps takes us to the arctic north where the summer temperature remains near freezing at roughly 32°F while the average winter temperature is -40°F and deadly cold.

The Polar Explorer

Norway’s Roald Amundsen was born at the right time for being a central figure in the age of Polar exploration.

He reached the South Pole first with his five-person crew in 1911. 

While it is debated by some, Amundsen is the first one verified to reach the North Pole on May 12, 1926 – 100 years ago.  He traveled with 14 others in an airship (“Zeppelin”) to reach the North Pole.  Two others claimed to reach the North Pole previously on land and ice, but there is doubt if indeed they did: Cook in 1908 and Peary one year later.

Amundsen was the first to navigate the Northwest Passage in Arctic Canada from 1903-06.  The Passage represents a shortcut from Europe and the East Coast to the Orient, but it is sadly frozen over much of the year.

This map of the North Pole region is by Blaeu from 1644.  Northern Greenland and northern Canada remain to be explored in those days.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps. Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.