27 Facts About Vilhjalmur Stefansson

Vilhjalmur Stefansson was an Arctic explorer and ethnologist.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson's parents had emigrated from Iceland to Manitoba two years earlier.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson studied anthropology at the graduate school of Harvard University, where for two years he was an instructor.

In 1904 and 1905, Vilhjalmur Stefansson did archaeological research in Iceland.

In 1908, Vilhjalmur Stefansson made a decision that would affect the rest of his time in Alaska: he hired Natkusiak, an Inuk guide, who would remain with him as his primary guide for the rest of his Alaska expeditions.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson later referenced Greely's work in his writings and the term "Blonde Eskimo" became applied to sightings of fair-haired Inuit from as early as the 17th century.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson's explanation was that he and five other expedition members left to go hunting to provide fresh meat for the crew.

However, William Laird McKinley and others who were left on the ship suspected Vilhjalmur Stefansson left deliberately, anticipating that the ship would be carried off by moving ice, as indeed happened.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson resumed his explorations by sledge over the Beaufort Sea, leaving Collinson Point, Alaska in April 1914.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson had designs for forming an exploration company that would be geared towards individuals interested in touring the Arctic island.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson originally wanted to claim Wrangel Island for the Canadian government.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson then wanted to claim the land for Britain but the British government rejected the claim when it was made by the young men of the expedition.

The four young men Stefansson recruited, Americans, Frederick Maurer, E Lorne Knight, and Milton Galle, and Canadian Allan Crawford, were inadequately experienced and ill-equipped for the expedition.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson drew the ire of the public and the families of the men who perished for having sent such ill-equipped young explorers to Wrangel.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson's reputation was severely tainted by this disaster, along with that of the Karluk.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson produced the first written records of several places, such as Brock, Mackenzie King, Borden, Meighen, and Lougheed Islands and the edge of the continental shelf.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson continued his explorations leaving from Herschel Island on August 23,1915.

On January 30,1920, The Pioche Record reported that Vilhjalmur Stefansson discovered a lost cache from the Leopold McClintock 1853 expedition on Melville Island.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson was an elected member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson remained a well-known explorer for the rest of his life.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson joined the Explorers Club in 1908, four years after its founding.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson was selected as one of two vice-presidents of the organization.

However, with the growing anti-Soviet feeling in the country after World War II, "exposes" of Vilhjalmur Stefansson began to appear in the press.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson is reported to have eaten an exclusive meat-based diet during his arctic explorations.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson commented that he had become fond of consuming raw fish and fermented whale oil.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson argued that it was possible for people of European descent to live on an Eskimo diet for long periods of time and the reason that explorers had developed scurvy was because they were not following the Eskimo's dietary habits.

In 1935, Vilhjalmur Stefansson authored an article in Harper's Magazine titled Adventures in Diet outlining his meat-based diet in the arctic.