By the late 19th century, the North Pole remained one of the last great geographic mysteries. The quest to reach the inhospitable and dangerous frozen ocean became a lifelong pursuit for many explorers around the world. Numerous adventurers threw themselves at the challenge, often at great cost. They faced untold hardships, failure, and even death. Like many spirited explorers, Salomon August Andrée, a Swedish engineer and aeronaut, was bewitched by the Arctic. But unlike previous expeditions, Andrée, a fervent believer in the power of science and technology, was convinced that success could be achieved not by traveling through the sea or over ice by sled, but by flying above it in a hydrogen balloon.
The balloon Örnen lies where it crashed on the ice pack. Photo by expedition member Nils Strindberg
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