Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) was a Norwegian polar explorer who was the first person to reach both the South Pole and the North Pole. In 1911, Amundsen led a small expedition that became the first to reach the South Pole on December 14th, traveling by dog sled. Amundsen had originally planned to go to the North Pole but changed his plans when Robert Peary reached it first. He later became the first person to fly over the North Pole in 1926.