EXPLORER

Erik the Red

950 - 1003

Photo of Erik the Red

Icon of person Erik the Red

Erik Thorvaldsson (c. 950 – c. 1003), known as Erik the Red, was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first European settlement in Greenland. Erik most likely earned the epithet "the Red" due to the color of his hair and beard. According to Icelandic sagas, Erik was born in the Jæren district of Rogaland, Norway, as the son of Thorvald Asvaldsson; to which Thorvald would later be banished from Norway, and would sail west to Iceland with Erik and his family. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Erik the Red has received more than 3,720,392 page views. His biography is available in 63 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 60 in 2019). Erik the Red is the 23rd most popular explorer (down from 18th in 2019), the 13th most popular biography from Norway (down from 12th in 2019) and the 3rd most popular Norwegian Explorer.

Erik the Red is most famous for being the father of Leif Erikson, the first European to set foot in North America.

Memorability Metrics

  • 3.7M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 74.14

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 63

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 8.86

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.71

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among EXPLORERS

Among explorers, Erik the Red ranks 23 out of 498. Before him are Xuanzang, Fridtjof Nansen, Juan Sebastián Elcano, Jacques Cartier, David Livingstone, and Jacques Cousteau. After him are Vitus Bering, Leif Erikson, Willem Barentsz, Thor Heyerdahl, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, and Martin Behaim.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 950, Erik the Red ranks 1. After him are Pope John XVII, Adelaide of Aquitaine, Ibn Yunus, Maslama al-Majriti, Arslan Isra'il, Boleslaus III, Duke of Bohemia, Leo the Deacon, Mariam al-Asturlabi, Abhinavagupta, Bernard I, Duke of Saxony, and Olof Björnsson. Among people deceased in 1003, Erik the Red ranks 1. After him are Pope Sylvester II, Pope John XVII, Gregory of Narek, Athanasius the Athonite, Rozala of Italy, At-Ta'i, Herman II, Duke of Swabia, Vladivoj, Duke of Bohemia, and Beatrice of France.

Others Born in 950

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Others Deceased in 1003

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In Norway

Among people born in Norway, Erik the Red ranks 13 out of 1,039. Before him are Anni-Frid Lyngstad (1945), Knut Hamsun (1859), Niels Henrik Abel (1802), Fridtjof Nansen (1861), Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832), and Harald Fairhair (850). After him are Queen Sonja of Norway (1937), Thor Heyerdahl (1914), Gro Harlem Brundtland (1939), Jon Fosse (1959), Rollo (846), and Olaf II of Denmark (1370).

Others born in Norway

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Among EXPLORERS In Norway

Among explorers born in Norway, Erik the Red ranks 3. Before him are Roald Amundsen (1872), and Fridtjof Nansen (1861). After him are Thor Heyerdahl (1914), Ingólfr Arnarson (850), Otto Sverdrup (1854), Naddodd (900), Thekla Resvoll (1871), Carsten Borchgrevink (1864), Ohthere of Hålogaland (900), Carl Anton Larsen (1860), and Hjalmar Johansen (1867).

Norwegian born Explorers

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