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Thor Heyerdahl

Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer specializing in biology and geography.

Thor Heyerdahl is one of 1179 people in the A–Z index, listed under T.

Is Thor Heyerdahl dead or alive?

Who is Thor Heyerdahl?

Thor Heyerdahl is best known for Leading the Kon-Tiki expedition to demonstrate ancient sea migration theories. On Dead or Alive, Thor Heyerdahl is listed in the Norwegian Icons category, where you can test yourself on similar names. Dead or Alive is a trivia game: you decide whether a famous person is still alive, then see the answer. The status for Thor Heyerdahl is checked against public sources such as Wikidata and is shown only after you answer.

Facts

Known for: Leading the Kon-Tiki expedition to demonstrate ancient sea migration theories
Listed under: Norwegian Icons

About Thor Heyerdahl

The expedition was supposed to demonstrate that the legendary sun-worshiping red-haired, bearded, and white-skinned "Tiki people" from South America drifted and colonized Polynesia first, before actual Polynesian peoples. His hyperdiffusionist ideas on ancient cultures had been widely rejected by the scientific community, even before the expedition. Heyerdahl made other voyages to demonstrate the possibility of contact between widely separated ancient peoples, notably the Ra II expedition of 1970, when he sailed from the west coast of Africa to Barbados in a papyrus reed boat. He was appointed a government scholar in 1984 by the Norwegian government. In May 2011, the Thor Heyerdahl Archives were added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. At the time, this list included 238 collections from all over the world. The Heyerdahl Archives span the years 1937 to 2002 and include his photographic collection, diaries, private letters, expedition plans, articles, newspaper clippings, and original book and article manuscripts.

Text from the Wikipedia article Thor Heyerdahl, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Sentences about life status are left out so the game is not spoiled.

Frequently asked questions

What is Thor Heyerdahl known for?

Thor Heyerdahl is known for Leading the Kon-Tiki expedition to demonstrate ancient sea migration theories.

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Thor Heyerdahl appears in Norwegian Icons.

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