Which Norwegian explorer led the first expedition to navigate the Northwest Passage?

Roald Amundsen led the first expedition to navigate the Northwest Passage.

Amundsen and a small crew completed the passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific between 1903 and 1906. They sailed the converted fishing vessel Gjøa through the Arctic waterways north of mainland Canada, wintering near King William Island before continuing west.

The expedition succeeded partly because Amundsen used a relatively small ship that could travel through narrow channels. He also learned survival techniques from the Netsilik Inuit, including effective clothing and methods for travel in extreme Arctic conditions.

The Northwest Passage is not one single channel but a network of routes through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Earlier expeditions had explored portions of it, but Amundsen’s voyage was the first to complete a navigable sea passage. He later became famous for reaching the South Pole in 1911.