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On this day - 1 May

Historical items of interest as featured in the papers of the day.

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Naomi Uemura becomes first to reach North Pole solo

Daily Express 01/05/1978

Naomi Uemura was a Japanese adventurer who is most well known for his many impressive solo feats. On May 1st 1978 he became the first person to reach the North Pole on a solo expedition. He has also summited Mount Everest twice, solo summited Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn and was the first person to climb Denali solo.

Denali is the tallest mountain in the world and was formerly known as Mount McKinley. It is located in Alaska and it was here that Naomi Uemura went missing in 1984 as he attempted a solo climb of the mountain in winter. His original climb had been in better weather. Searches for him revealed his diary and much of his equipment in caves and caches on the mountain but he was never located.

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