From 1891-1909, Matthew Henson dedicated his life to exploring the Arctic. Originally, Robert Peary hired Henson as a servant, but in 1908, when it was time for Peary’s third and final attempt to reach the North Pole, it was Henson who was Peary’s most trusted partner. As a Black American at the turn of the century, he faced constant racism, but in the Arctic, his character and skills couldn’t be ignored. He was the best person to lead the final push to the North Pole, but would he be the first to reach it?

https://adventurenerds.com/podcast/matthew-henson-towards-the-north-pole/

Visit us at Adventure Nerds to learn more about us and find a list of references and a map of Henson’s route towards the North Pole. Remember to sign up for our newsletter and follow us for more exciting stories.

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If you haven’t listened to Part 1, we recommend that you listen to that episode first. Part 2 begins with Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland almost halfway around the world. Bly had no idea she was racing anything but the fictional record in Jules Verne’s novel, Around The World in 80 Days. Did either of them make it in less than 80 days? Did they even make it back to New York? 

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In 1889, Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland left New York with the goal of setting the fastest known time record for traveling around the world. Nellie Bly had the idea to beat the fictional record set in the book, Around The World in 80 Days. Elizabeth Bisland was sent in the opposite direction to race Nellie Bly. Both women were in their mid-20’s, had limited travel experience, and most people didn’t think they could do it alone. What happened next?

https://adventurenerds.com/podcast/nellie-bly-and-elizabeth-bisland-race-around-the-world/

Visit us at Adventure Nerds to learn more about us and find a list of references and a map of Bly’s and Bisland’s adventures. Remember to sign up for our newsletter and follow us for more exciting stories.

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Takamure Itsue’s long hike around the island of Shikoku, Japan, was revolutionary in many ways. Not only did she visit 88 temples on her 900 mile pilgrimage, but she learned to observe the world in new ways and write her own story. As a young woman, everyone told her that she shouldn’t attempt the dangerous route. Hiking through the mud and rain, she gained confidence, and the stories she wrote went on to have an enormous impact on Japanese society. She felt that a reckless adventure into the unknown was better than standing still and proved that women were stronger than anyone imagined.

https://adventurenerds.com/podcast/takamure-itsue-a-long-hike-around-shikoku/

Visit us at Adventure Nerds for references and a map of her hike. Remember to sign up for our newsletter and follow us for more exciting stories.

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Cousteau went from being nearly paralyzed and rarely swimming to becoming a pioneering explorer of the underwater world. In the middle of WWII, in occupied France, Cousteau and his friends experimented with new techniques and went on countless adventures underwater. Despite the risks and violating pretty much every rule of scuba diving safety, they succeeded in inventing modern scuba diving. In this episode, we dive into Cousteau’s life between 1936 and 1943 and follow him on a series of incredible underwater adventures that led to the development of the Aqua Lung. Let’s go!

https://adventurenerds.com/podcast/jacques-cousteau-and-the-invention-of-scuba-diving/

Visit us at Adventure Nerds for references, a timeline of Cousteau’s early life, and to watch the film, 18 Meters Deep. We’ve also included a few interesting stories that didn’t fit into the episode, like one of Cousteau’s missions as a spy for the French Resistance. Remember to sign up for our newsletter while you are there and follow us for more exciting stories.

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In 1970, a few elk near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, became famous. Researchers had the bold idea to try and track elk migrations using the Nimbus III weather satellite. It was the first attempt to track a living thing from space. Newspapers from around the world followed the adventures of the Space Elk and the development of satellite tracking. It was the peak of the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States, and no one could anticipate what would happen next. With their research, the Craighead brothers and Monique changed wildlife conservation practices forever. In this episode, we follow the adventures of Monique, the researchers, and the elk from the National Elk Wildlife Refuge to see how science doesn’t always work out as planned, but sometimes it makes an interesting story.

https://adventurenerds.com/podcast/space-elk-and-the-first-gps/

Visit us at Adventure Nerds for a map of the elk migration, a bibliography, and more information about the first experiment with GPS. Remember to sign up for our newsletter while you are there, and follow us for more exciting stories.

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Welcome back to the Adventure Almanac, stories about adventure, and what we learn along the way. On Season 2 of the podcast, we have five short stories about adventures from across the globe. We test big ideas on big adventures as we race to the North Pole and race around the world. We also follow small adventures that develop into big ideas. From a meditative walk to adventures testing new technologies that change how we explore our world, Season 2 has it all. Join us for an adventure and subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode. 

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Ynés Mexía was a Mexican-American woman adventurer who found her purpose late in life and became an unstoppable explorer and botanist. She traveled across North and South America cataloging thousands of plants and self-funded her solo travels from Alaska to Chile. She explored the wildest places and proved that it is never too late to start your next adventure. 

https://adventurenerds.com/podcast/ynes-mexia-unstoppable-explorer-and-botanist/

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Marshall Taylor became the first Black American to win a world championship and the fastest cyclist alive. He lived a life of adventure that took him from a small farm in Illinois to traveling the world to compete in cycling competitions. He persevered against all odds and became one of the most famous athletes alive. 

https://adventurenerds.com/podcast/marshall-taylor-a-world-champion-cyclist/

If you enjoy this podcast, please leave a review and spread the word. Hitting a 5-star rating takes 2 seconds, and it sends anonymous joy to our tiny corner of the world.

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Mountaineering is a team sport. We all stand on the shoulders of giants whether we are a mountain climber or not. Hillary and Norgay completed the first summit of Mt. Everest, but this episode is less about standing on top of a mountain and more about what it takes to do hard things. Even if you are not a mountain climber, we hope you enjoy the story and learn something new.

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