Why is Thor Heyerdahl important?

Thor Heyerdahl (1914–2002) is one of history’s most famous explorers. In 1947 he crossed the Pacific Ocean on the balsawood raft Kon-Tiki. This was his first expedition to be captured on film, and was later awarded Academy Award for best documentary in 1951.

How many expeditions did Thor Heyerdahl go on?

four
Since his voyage across the Pacific on the Kon-Tikiin 1947, Thor Heyerdahl has been the modern world’s most renowned explorer-adventurer. He has made four oceanic trips in primitive vessels to demonstrate his theories that ancient civilizations may have spread from a common source through sea voyages.

What was the purpose of the Kon-Tiki expedition?

The purpose stated by Heyerdahl for carrying modern and ancient containers was to test the effectiveness of ancient water storage. For food Kon-Tiki carried 200 coconuts, sweet potatoes, bottle gourds and other assorted fruit and roots.

What is Thor Heyerdahl a visionary Norwegian explorer known for?

Norwegian explorer, author and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl was born on 6 October 1914. Heyerdahl is best known for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947. He and five other crew members set sail from Peru on a traditional balsawood raft christened the Kon-Tiki after the Inca sun god.

How old is Thor Heyerdahl?

87 years (1914–2002)
Thor Heyerdahl/Age at death
Thor Heyerdahl, the Norwegian anthropologist and adventurer who won acclaim navigating the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans to advance his controversial theories of ancient seafaring migrations, died yesterday. Mr. Heyerdahl, who was 87, died of cancer in Italy, where he had been vacationing, the family said.

Who sailed with Thor Heyerdahl?

Erik Hesselberg was a close childhood friend of Heyerdahl’s. He was a trained sailor and had spent five years in the merchant fleet, and was thus the only member of the Kon-Tiki crew with actual maritime experience.

Was Thor Heyerdahl correct?

Fifty years ago, Thor Heyerdahl and the Kon-Tiki expedition appeared to prove that ancient humans could have sailed west from South American to colonise the Pacific islands. But DNA evidence now shows that his theory was wrong.

Did Thor Heyerdahl know how do you swim?

Despite his taste for adventure, he remained terrified of water after twice almost drowning as a boy, and did not learn to swim until he was 22. At the University of Oslo, Heyerdahl read Zoology and Geography, but he had already become fascinated by Polynesia.

Did Heyerdahl stay married?

After the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, he served with the Free Norwegian Forces from 1944, in the far north province of Finnmark. In 1949, Heyerdahl married Yvonne Dedekam-Simonsen (1924–2006). They had three daughters: Annette, Marian and Helene Elisabeth. They were divorced in 1969.

What was Thor Heyerdahl trying to prove with the Kon-Tiki expedition of 1947?

Heyerdahl wanted to prove his theory that prehistoric South Americans could have colonized the Polynesian islands by drifting on ocean currents. Heyerdahl and his five-person crew set sail from Callao, Peru, on the 45-foot-long Kon-Tiki on April 28, 1947.

Who was Thor Heyerdahl married to?

Jacqueline Beerm. 1991–2002
Yvonne Dedekam-Simonsenm. 1949–1969Liv Coucheron-Torpm. 1936–1947
Thor Heyerdahl/Spouse
In 1996, he married his present wife, Jacqueline Beer Heyerdahl, a French-born Hollywood actress. Other survivors, besides the son Thor Jr. of Lillehammer, Norway, are another son, Bjorn, who lives in Italy; two daughters, Marian and Helene Elisabeth, both of Oslo; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.