The Race to the North Pole

Morning Polar People!

The NORTH POLE was discovered in this crazy race…

Between these 2 ego driven maniacs:

Here's the story:

So, it starts with this guy:

Robert Peary, an American explorer who was OBSESSED with getting to the North pole.

And his doctor:

A guy called Frederick Cook.

So these 2 dudes are out exploring the Arctic, out by Greenland.

But then somehow, Peary breaks his leg.

And his doctor, Cook, and him end up staying out in the Arctic wilderness for like 6 months while his leg healed.

While out there, Cook proved himself to be quite the survivalist.

Learning a bunch of skills for surviving in this frozen wasteland.

Peary was kinda impressed, so once they got back home to America he was like:

But Cook was like:

So Peary was like:

So they go their separate ways.

And Cook set out on his own mission back to the Arctic… but couldn't really make it very far.

This was all while Peary was absolutely crushing it, with successful mission after successful mission.

Now by this point, Peary REALLY wants to be the first person to the top of the world.

So he goes on, attempt after attempt. 

Each time, a little closer than the last, and each time, some disaster happens, and they have to turn back.

In the process of these trips, he lost 8 of his 10 toes… yikes.

Ok, what's Cook been up to?

Well, it turns out he set his sights on being the first to summit Mount Denali in Alaska. AKA the tallest mountain in North America.

And you know what, he did it!

Look:

Wow, he's like an ACTUAL legit explorer now.

Cook felt so confident he set his sights on a bigger goal… the North Pole.

And so, the race begins…

Cook set off immediately in 1907, a year before Peary scheduled his final North Pole expedition attempt.

But then… 6 months go by.

No sign of Cook.

A year goes by, and still, nobody has heard from him.

And then finally, Peary and his crew set off on course to the North Pole.

The whole world wondered where Cook was.

And… who would get there first?

But then… on September 1st, 1909, nearly 2 years after he set out, Cook appeared on a little island north of Britain.

Declaring:

Cook had done it!

And then just 5 days later, Peary landed in Canada, saying he too had discovered the North Pole.

But there was a problem…

Both men claimed they had gotten to the North Pole first.

So, who actually got there first?

Well, many people have dedicated much of their lives to trying to figure this out.

And all the evidence collected over the last 100 years suggests that Peary DID IN FACT reach the North Pole.

Ya, but Cook’s mission set off a year before Peary’s.

 He would have yes.

But it turns out… Cook is a freakin LIAR!!

He almost DEFINITELY never got to the North Pole.

The furthest that he probably made it was like here:

400 miles from the North Pole. 

But Cook was a proper adventurer, right?

I mean, he was the first to summit Mt Denali in Alaska, right? That's something…

Well, it turns out… HE LIED ABOUT THAT TOO!

This picture:

ISN’T the summit of Denali, it’s actually just some small cliff 15,000 feet lower than Denali lol.

Nice try, Cook…

But Peary’s better.

Stay Cute,
Reece, Henry & Dylan 🌈

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