Which Norwegian explorer first navigated the Northwest Passage in 1906?

Roald Amundsen was the first explorer to navigate the Northwest Passage solely by ship, completing the voyage in 1906. He made the journey aboard Gjøa, a small Norwegian vessel with a crew of six.

Amundsen departed from Oslo in June 1903 and spent nearly two years frozen into a natural harbor on King William Island. The expedition used this enforced winter stay to conduct scientific measurements, including work related to the location of the North Magnetic Pole. The harbor later became known as Gjoa Haven.

The voyage succeeded partly because Amundsen chose a shallow-draft ship and a route through narrow Arctic channels. He and his crew also learned survival techniques from local Inuit communities, including methods for clothing, travel, and hunting. After navigating the passage, Amundsen traveled overland to Eagle, Alaska, to announce the achievement by telegraph.

The wording “first navigated” can cause confusion. Earlier expeditions had explored parts of the passage, and Robert McClure’s expedition was the first to complete a passage in a broader sense using both ship and sled. Amundsen’s distinction is the first complete transit by ship alone.