John Rae was born on September 30, 1813, in Orphir, Orkney. His father worked for Lord Armadale in Edinburgh. Young John enjoyed hunting, fishing, and sailing, skills aiding his exploration career.
Rae studied medicine in Edinburgh, becoming a qualified surgeon in 1833. He served as a ship’s surgeon, learning survival from Indigenous peoples.
Governor-in-Chief Simpson tasked Rae with mapping the Arctic coast. In 1846-47, he embarked on his first Arctic expedition, discovering survival techniques and debunking notions of Boothia as an island.
Rae joined the search for the lost Franklin Expedition in 1848. He revealed crucial information about King William Land and Rae Strait, part of a navigable Northwest Passage. Inuit informed him of Franklin’s crew resorting to cannibalism.
Respected for his Arctic explorations and relationships with Indigenous peoples, Rae passed away on July 22, 1893, with a memorial erected in St Magnus Cathedral the following year.
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