Lincoln Ellsworth transitioned from a career in civil engineering to become a pioneer of polar aviation, leading groundbreaking aerial crossings of both the Arctic and Antarctic. Throughout the early twentieth century, he utilized his technical training and substantial personal resources to chart remote regions, ultimately reshaping contemporary understanding of the Earth’s most isolated landscapes.
Early Engineering Career
Born in Chicago in 1880, Ellsworth attended The Hill School and later studied civil engineering at Columbia University. His early professional life involved extensive fieldwork as a surveyor, beginning with the Canadian Grand Pacific Railroad project between 1902 and 1907. He subsequently performed engineering duties for mining operations in Alaska and Canada, later working with the United States Biological Survey. During the First World War, he served in the United States Army, where he completed training as an aviator.
Arctic Expeditions with Amundsen
In 1925, Ellsworth partnered with Roald Amundsen for an ambitious flight from Svalbard toward the North Pole using Dornier Wal flying boats. Following a forced landing that required a three-week recovery effort, the team returned safely. In 1926, he joined Amundsen and Italian engineer Umberto Nobile for the successful transit of the Arctic in the airship Norge. This expedition achieved the first sighting of the Geographic North Pole from the air.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Antarctic Exploration
Between 1933 and 1939, Ellsworth conducted four Antarctic expeditions using his ship, the Wyatt Earp, and a Northrop Gamma aircraft named Polar Star. In 1935, he completed a trans-Antarctic flight from Dundee Island to the Ross Ice Shelf, during which he discovered the Ellsworth Mountains. A fuel shortage forced an emergency landing near the Little America camp. He and pilot Herbert Hollick-Kenyon remained stranded for nearly two months before being rescued in early 1936.
Honors and Legacy
Ellsworth held numerous memberships and distinctions, including his role as a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History and an Honorary Scout for the Boy Scouts of America. His accolades included the Patron’s Medal from the Royal Geographical Society and the David Livingstone Centenary Medal. Various geographic features, including Ellsworth Land and Lake Ellsworth, bear his name, and his Arctic and Antarctic voyage exhibit remains at the American Museum of Natural History.
Fast facts
- Born: 1880, Chicago
- Died: 1951, New York City
- Spouse: Mary Louise Ulmer
- Primary Occupations: Engineer, aviator, explorer
- Education: The Hill School, Columbia University
- Burial Site: Markillie Cemetery
- Notable Aircraft: Polar Star, N24, N25, Norge
Questions readers ask
What major geographical feature did Ellsworth discover in Antarctica?
He discovered the Ellsworth Mountains during his trans-Antarctic flight in 1935.
Where is Lincoln Ellsworth buried?
He is buried at the Markillie Cemetery in Hudson, Ohio.
What aircraft did he use for his Antarctic expeditions?
He utilized a Northrop Gamma aircraft named Polar Star, transported by his ship, the Wyatt Earp.
Achievements
- Patron’s Medal
- Congressional Gold Medal
- David Livingstone Centenary Medal
- Honorary Scout
- Recorded as explorer, engineer and aircraft pilot
.jpg)
