Robert E PearyRobert E. Peary (1865-1920) was born on May 6, 1865, in Cresson, Pennsylvania. After attending Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, he joined the U.S. Navy, eventually becoming a rear admiral. Peary became an Arctic explorer for one reason: to be thefirst man to the North Pole. He claimed to have reached the Pole on April 7, 1909. Peary died on February 20, 1920, in Washington, D.C., and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Read More Read Less