Born October 31, 1888,
Mount Bryan East, Australia
Died December 1, 1958,
Framingham, Massachusetts

Sir George Hubert Wilkins led a colorful life. He immersed himself in a variety of occupations that offered adventure and challenge, but he is best remembered for his exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic. Wilkins was born on October 31, 1888, in the Australian outback on a sheep station about 100 miles north of the city of Adelaide. At 20 he left Australia by hiding on a ship headed to Algiers in North Africa. He worked as a smuggler until he reached England, where he became one of the first film photographers. He learned how to fly in 1910 and then was sent by his employers to film the Balkan Wars for newsreel services.

Has numerous adventures

Within a period of 12 years Wilkins pursued three different occupations and had numerous, sometimes life-threatening, adventures. In 1913 the Times of London hired him as...