Charles Francis Hall

Hall was an American explorer of the Arctic. In the 1860s, he made two notable—but mostly unsuccessful—searches for Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition. In 1871, he attempted to reach the North Pole. Though he set a new northern record, he died suddenly before reaching the pole. Later, 19 members of his crew became stranded on an ice floe for several months before being rescued. It is now believed that Hall was likely murdered, but it is also possible that he accidentally poisoned himself—how? More… Discuss