How USS Nautilus conquered the North Pole beneath the ice

Why icebreakers could never reach the North Pole

Archival footage explains why the massive Arctic ice pack crushed all surface attempts and rendered the strongest icebreakers useless.

Why No Surface Ship Ever Reached the North Pole

After a near-fatal first attempt in the polar pack, the captain offered every sailor a chance to leave, but not a single man walked away.

Every Crew Member Refused to Abandon the Mission

Life inside an atomic submarine under polar ice

Atomic power supplied heat, light, jukeboxes, and soda machines while crewmen relaxed and wrote letters hundreds of feet beneath the ice.

Everyday Life Deep Beneath the Polar Ice Pack

The seabed was rising directly beneath them

USS Nautilus detects the ocean bottom rapidly ascending directly toward the ship under the ice, uncovering an uncharted underwater mountain chain.

Near Collision with an Uncharted Underwater Mountain

For the USA and the US Navy: the North Pole!

Commander Anderson addresses the crew, requests a moment of silent prayer, and counts down the precise second they cross 90 degrees north.

The Historic Moment Man First Crossed the North Pole Under Ice

A hero ticker tape parade for polar pioneers

USS Nautilus returns to New York Harbor to receive a massive ticker tape parade alongside Admiral Rickover, father of the nuclear submarine.

New York City Welcomes the Arctic Pioneers

[00:12] Why No Surface Ship Ever Reached the North Pole
[05:02] Every Crew Member Refused to Abandon the Mission
[07:14] Everyday Life Deep Beneath the Polar Ice Pack
[08:46] Near Collision with an Uncharted Underwater Mountain
[11:03] The Historic Moment Man First Crossed the North Pole Under Ice
[12:58] New York City Welcomes the Arctic Pioneers

How USS Nautilus conquered the North Pole beneath the ice

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