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Who is Heyerdahl and what did he do?
Thor Heyerdahl, (born October 6, 1914, Larvik, Norway—died April 18, 2002, Colla Micheri, Italy), Norwegian ethnologist and adventurer who organized and led the famous Kon-Tiki (1947) and Ra (1969–70) transoceanic scientific expeditions.
What was Thor Heyerdahl theory?
The theory, published in full in Heyerdahl’s 1952 book American Indians in the Pacific: The theory behind the Kon-Tiki expedition (henceforth American Indians), claimed that the first settlers of the Pacific island world, in stark contrast to established scientific tradition, had not been of Asiatic origin, but in fact …
What did Thor Heyerdahl do to prove his theory?
In The Voyage of the `Kon-Tiki’, the Norwegian archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl famously proved that early humans could have used the trade winds to sail from Peru to Easter Island – and thus be its first settlers. The Polynesians then followed, and colonised New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island itself.
What happened to the Kon-Tiki?
After 101 days at sea the Kon-Tiki ran aground on a coral reef by the Raroia atoll in Polynesia. The expedition had been an unconditional success, and Thor Heyerdahl and his crew had demonstrated that South American peoples could in fact have journeyed to the islands of the South Pacific by balsa raft.
Did Thor Heyerdahl know how do you swim?
Thor Heyerdahl couldn’t swim. It’s late in the second half of “Kon-Tiki” before we learn that charming detail about the irrepressible Norwegian who built a huge raft using only medieval techniques to prove that it was possible to float, unguided, from Peru to Polynesia.
Is the story of Kon-Tiki true?
“Kon-Tiki” is based on a true story that follows the incredible story of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who crossed the Pacific ocean in a balsa wood raft in 1947, together with five men, to prove that South Americans – specifically, Peruvians – back in pre-Colombian times could have crossed the sea and settled on …
Did Thor Heyerdahl?
Heyerdahl is notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km (5,000 mi) across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands….
| Thor Heyerdahl | |
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| Alma mater | University of Oslo |
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.