Throughout the 9th and 10th centuries, the Vikings made epic voyages of discovery throughout the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. They colonized Newfoundland at L'Anse aux Meadows and sailed as far north as Ellesmere Island but made no inroads westward due to the arrival of the Little Ice Age.
Throughout the 18th century, Arctic exploration reached it's zenith. "Barrow's Boys", as the cadre of men who went into the ice at the behest of the Secretary of the British Admiralty became known, perfected the art of wintering over, sometimes for years at a time. The ill-fated Franklin Expedition, who turned to cannibalism on the ice, prompted an international relief effort that went on for decades. One of his would-be rescuers, Commander Robert McClure and his crew, became the first people to transit the Northwest Passage, albeit by sledge and ships.
Captain James Cook's venture into the ice in the Resolution in 1776 marked the start of the voyages made for the sake of national pride. Cook emerged from retirement to attempt to best Vitus Bering's discoveries but his effort came to naught and he is better know for his exploration of the southern Pacific Ocean.
The riches of the Orient lured John Cabot in 1497. His was the first recorded attempt at the Northwest Passage. Thus began over 200 years of some of the greatest voyages of discovery by legendary explorers like Francis Drake, Jacques Cartier, and Henry Hudson. While their efforts helped to colonize the New World, all failed to find the Passage.
Shifting ice kept the Northwest Passage elusive until 1906, when Roald Amundsen completed a three year voyage in the 47-ton Gjøa by skiing into the city of Eagle, Alaska, and sending a telegram announcing his success.
Icebreakers and submarines now prowl the waters of the Northwest Passage. However, recent climate changes may soon allow the strait to be open to international transit by supertankers and weekend trips by eco-tourists.
