Dan Fredinburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Fredinburg
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Daniel Paul Fredinburg
September 8, 1981 Mission Viejo, California, United States
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| Died | April 25, 2015 (aged 33) |
| Cause of death | Head injuries resulting from an avalanche |
| Education | University of California, Irvine University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Manager and head of privacy at Google X |
Daniel Paul Fredinburg (born September 8, 1981 – died April 25, 2015) was an American who worked as an executive at Google. He was also a climate activist, an inventor, an explorer, and an entrepreneur. Sadly, he passed away on April 25, 2015. This happened because of head injuries from an avalanche at Mount Everest's South Base Camp. The avalanche was caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.
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Early Life and Education
Dan Fredinburg grew up on a farm in Norfork, Arkansas. When he was 15, he left home to attend the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in Hot Springs.
He graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2004. He then earned a master's degree in intelligent robotics from the University of Southern California. He also took other graduate courses at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. Dan started working for Google in 2007.
Career at Google
Dan Fredinburg was the head of privacy at Google X, which is a special part of Google that works on big, futuristic projects. He also helped with Project Loon, which aimed to provide internet access using balloons.
He was also a co-founder of two groups: The Laundry SF and Save the Ice. Dan started the Google Adventure Team. This team worked to map natural places on Earth in great detail. They wanted to show these areas, like the Great Barrier Reef, the bottom of the oceans, and high mountains, in a way similar to how Google Earth shows cities.
Dan was also a co-inventor of more than a dozen software technologies. These technologies were later patented by Google. Before joining Google, he worked on advanced technology projects in the defense industry at Boeing.
Exciting Expeditions
Dan Fredinburg was part of several Google projects related to his expeditions. He was one of four Google employees who were mapping the climbing routes on Mount Everest. This was for a Google Earth-type project.
In a 2013 interview, Dan explained Google's goal. He said they wanted to give people the chance to explore different parts of the world from their homes. This was for "adventurers and people who want to explore from the comfort of their homes." His job title was "Google 'I' adventurer." The project aimed to let people experience climbing the world's highest mountains without actually having to climb them.
On April 24, 2015, Dan unrolled a banner on top of Kala Patthar. This was to support the climate change cause SaveTheIce.org.
Dan had been on Mount Everest for three weeks. He had also narrowly escaped the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche the year before. Sadly, he was one of four American citizens who died in the 2015 Mount Everest disaster. This happened after the 2015 Nepal earthquake caused an avalanche at the South Base Camp. Five Sherpa guides helped carry Dan's body down the mountain. A U.S. Army Special Forces helicopter then evacuated climbers several days after the avalanche.
Even though he had not reached the very top of Everest, Dan had climbed four of the Seven Summits. These are the highest mountains on each continent. He used the same pair of hiking boots for all of them! These included Mount Elbrus in Europe, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, and Aconcagua in South America. He photographed all three for Google. Dan described climbing Aconcagua as a tough experience, saying there were even mule skeletons sticking out of the ground. He also climbed the challenging Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid), which is the highest peak in Oceania.
Helping Others
After Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, Dan Fredinburg helped organize a relief effort in New York City. He worked to support people in Staten Island who lost their homes because of the storm.
In 2014, a SaveTheIce.org project in the Baltic states was shown in a Discovery Digital Networks show called In the Making.
Dan also founded The Laundry. This was a San Francisco-based business incubator. It aimed to create a community and a helpful environment for social impact projects. These are businesses that focus on solving social problems.
Personal Life
Dan Fredinburg dated actress Sophia Bush from 2013 to 2014. They remained good friends even after they broke up. When Sophia learned about Dan's death, she said, "There are no adequate words. Dan Fredinburg was one-of-a-kind. Fearless. Funny. I'm devastated and simultaneously so deeply grateful to have known and loved him."
His Legacy
After Dan's death, a Crowdrise page was set up. It raised about $100,000 to help with relief efforts in Nepal.
A special foundation, called the "Dan Fredinburg Foundation," was created in his name. This non-profit organization aims to keep raising money. It supports social movements related to invention, adventure, and taking action.
A campaign website called LiveDan was also launched. It promotes the ideas and principles that guided Dan's life.
A new building at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA) is being built. It's called the Creativity and Innovation Complex and is set to open in 2019. The first floor will be named the Dan Fredinburg Technology Center. This is in memory of Dan, who was an alumnus of ASMSA from the Class of 1999.
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Dan Fredinburg
