Adventurous Facts About Peter Freuchen, The Vagrant Viking
Peter Freuchen was the 20th-century Danish explorer who hunted polar bears, amputated his own toes, escaped the führer, and then won a game show.
1. He Was Always Victorious
was the dauntless Danish explorer who charted the furthest reaches of the Arctic. His treacherous treks across the most inhospitable frozen landscapes on earth nearly cost him his life.
However, whether he was wrestling polar bears or staring down the führer himself, Freuchen always emerged as the victorious Vagrant Viking.
He even conquered the game shows.
2. He Didn’t Follow In Anyone’s Footsteps
Peter Freuchen was born in the far reaches of Nykøbing Falster, Denmark on February 20, 1886. His father, Lorentz Benzon Freuchen, was a respectable businessman who only wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. However, from a very young age, it was obvious that Freuchen wasn’t going to follow in anyone’s footsteps. Instead, fate had a dangerous plan in store for him.
3. He Skipped Classes To Go To Sea
Freuchen was born with the heart of an intrepid explorer. Even as a child, he would often sneak out of class and find his way to the sea. There, he would sit back and listen in wonder at the stories that the sailors and fishermen told. He knew from then on that he wanted to chart new territory. Unless his father had something to say about it.
4. He Was Going To Be A Doctor
For a time, it looked like Freuchen was going to disappear into obscurity. His father had him enroll in the University of Copenhagen to study medicine. The hope was that a steady vocation would tame Freuchen’s adventurous spirit. But, deep down, Freuchen longed to explore something far more treacherous than the human body.
