‘I Must Have Fame’: Inside Robert Peary’s Desperate Journey To Be The First Man To Reach The North Pole
All That's Interesting | 07.02.2026 23:00
“Peary Discovers the North Pole After Eight Trials in 23 Years,” declared The New York Times on Sept. 7, 1909. Indeed, it initially seemed like American explorer Robert Peary was the first man to reach the top of the world. But it was soon learned that another paper, The New York Herald, had awarded the historic discovery to a different explorer just one week earlier. Peary refused to give up his claim to the award, and launched a campaign against the other adventurer to secure his title.
