Roald Amundsen

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen led the first expedition to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911, beating Britain's Robert Scott by 34 days. He had earlier completed the first navigation of the Northwest Passage (1903-1906) and later became the first to reach the North Pole by air (1926). His systematic, meticulous approach to polar exploration — in direct contrast to Scott's underprepared expedition — stands as a model of rational expedition planning.