1885-1978

Italian engineer, air force officer, and explorer who designed and built dirigibles, and made numerous expeditions to the Arctic. During one expedition with Roald Amundsen in 1926, Nobile piloted the first dirigible—and the second aircraft overall—to the North Pole. In 1928, he commanded another dirigible to the North Pole, but crashed on the return trip. Blamed for the crash and associated deaths of several crew members, Nobile resigned from the air force and ceased his Arctic explorations. In 1945, he was cleared of all charges.