







The Most Famous
Explorers from Norway
Top 10 Explorers
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Norwegians Explorers of all time. This list of famous Norwegians Explorers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Norwegians Explorers.
- #1

Roald Amundsen
1872 - 1928
HPI 84.99160 langsRoald Amundsen is most famous for being the first person to reach the South Pole.
- #2

Fridtjof Nansen
1861 - 1930
HPI 80.3888 langsFridtjof Nansen is most famous for his exploration of the Arctic and his invention of a new type of ship, the Fram.
- #3

Erik the Red
950 - 1003
HPI 79.5663 langsErik the Red is most famous for being the father of Leif Erikson, the first European to set foot in North America.
- #4

Thor Heyerdahl
1914 - 2002
HPI 77.1477 langsThor Heyerdahl is most famous for his Kon-Tiki expedition. He was a Norwegian explorer who wanted to prove that people from South America...Read moreShow less
Thor Heyerdahl is most famous for his Kon-Tiki expedition. He was a Norwegian explorer who wanted to prove that people from South America could have traveled to Polynesia on balsa wood rafts.
- #5

Ingólfr Arnarson
850 - 910
HPI 73.0349 langsIngólfr Arnarson is most famous for being the first Norse settler in Iceland, in 874.
- #6

Otto Sverdrup
1854 - 1930
HPI 64.3930 langsNorwegian sailor and Arctic explorer (1854-1930)
- #7

Carsten Borchgrevink
1864 - 1934
HPI 63.8028 langsAnglo-Norwegian polar explorer
- #8

Ohthere of Hålogaland
900 - 901
HPI 62.2522 langsOhthere of Hålogaland is most famous for being a Viking explorer.
- #9

Naddodd
b. 900
HPI 61.9222 langsNorwegian explorer
- #10

Carl Anton Larsen
1860 - 1924
HPI 61.8626 langsNorwegian explorer and whaler (1860–1924)
People by Birth Decade
Browse notable Norwegians Explorers grouped by birth decade. Each decade shows the top 10 by HPI; expand to see everyone.
1960s(1)
1910s(2)
1890s(2)
1850s(1)
1570s(1)
900s(2)
850s(1)
800s(1)
Overlapping Lives
Which Explorers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 15 most globally memorable Explorers since 1700.
















