Photo: uncredited / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Thor Heyerdahl is, for me, the rare scholar who refused to let theories stay on paper. An Oslo-trained biologist who climbed aboard the Kon-Tiki raft to cross the Pacific himself, he embodied an idea I find irresistible: prove your hypothesis with your own body. The shelf of honors, from the Order of St. Olav to the Vega Medal, almost misses the point. What I admire is the audacity, the willingness to risk everything to test a claim about how humans once moved across oceans. Even where later research disputes him, that experimental daring reshaped how we imagine the ancient world.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Thor Heyerdahl
- Name (Japanese)
- トール・ヘイエルダール
- Reading
- とーる・へいえるだーる
- Born
- October 6, 1914 – April 18, 2002
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Tiger
- Origin
- Larvik, Vestfold, Norway
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- explorer / anthropologist / archaeologist / historian / screenwriter
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Oslo
Awards & achievements
- 1985 Fridtjof Nansen Award for outstanding research, historical-philosophical class
- 1994 Empowering award
- 1999 Peer Gynt Literary Award
- 1971 Grand Officer of the Order of Wissam El Alaoui
- 1987 Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav
- 1965 Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Order of the Golden Ark
- 1962 Vega Medal
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Thor Heyerdahl born?
October 6, 1914 – April 18, 2002.
Where is Thor Heyerdahl from?
Thor Heyerdahl is from Larvik, Vestfold, Norway.
What does Thor Heyerdahl do?
Thor Heyerdahl works as explorer, anthropologist, archaeologist, historian, screenwriter.
Explorer — see all → · Anthropologist — see all → · More people from Norway →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-19
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.