Google honors adventurer Fridtjof Nansen with a new Doodle

Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Google is celebrating adventurer Fridtjof Nansen on what would have been his 156th birthday with a new Doodle.

Born in Oslo, Norway in 1861, Nansen was known to cross-country ski as many as 50 miles using minimal supplies.

Google's homepage pays homage to Nansen's skiing trips by displaying an animated image of the explorer moving along on skis alongside artwork depicting his face, landscapes and a passport.

"In 1888, he became the first person to lead an expedition across the snow-capped interior of Greenland. One icy adventure was not enough: just a few years later, Nansen attempted to become the first person to reach the North Pole. Although the expedition was unsuccessful, he did go farther north in latitude than any other explorer at that time," Google shared of Nansen's adventures.

"I demolish the bridges behind me... Then there is no choice but to move forward," Nansen said about his lust for life, The Independent reported.

After his explorations were slowed down due to World War I, Nansen became a humanitarian as he worked to free prisoners of war and repatriate refugees misplaced by the conflict.

"He created the Nansen Passport, a travel document that allowed stateless refugees to emigrate and resettle. Nansen was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for helping those without a voice find a home," Google continued.

"Fridtjof Nansen began his career by shattering the boundaries of human exploration, and he brought the same courage and tenacity to his fight to support refugees," Google said.