Leif Erikson Awards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leif Erikson Awards |
|
|---|---|
| Location | Húsavík |
| Country | Iceland |
The Leif Erikson Awards are special prizes given out every year in Húsavík, Iceland. They celebrate amazing achievements in exploring our world and beyond. These awards also honor people who work to share and protect the history of exploration.
The awards are given by The Exploration Museum. They have three main categories:
- For an explorer who has achieved a lot in their lifetime.
- For a young explorer (under 35 years old) who has done great things.
- For a person or group that helps promote and save exploration history.
The awards ceremony happens each year in Húsavík. It is the main event of the Húsavík Explorers Festival. The first awards were given in 2015.
The awards are named after Leif Erikson, a famous Icelandic explorer. Many believe he was the first European to land in North America. He might have even started a Norse settlement called Vinland. This place is thought to be where L'Anse aux Meadows is today, in Canada.
Both Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, the current President of Iceland, and his predecessor, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, have presented these awards.
How Winners Are Chosen
The winners of the Leif Erikson Awards are chosen by a special group. This group is called the Exploration Museum's Scientific Committee. The museum's board picks the committee members each year. The person who won the Exploration History Award the year before becomes the chairperson.
Award Winners
The Leif Erikson Awards have been presented by important people. These include the Presidents of Iceland and famous anchors. The ceremonies take place at the Explorers Festival in Húsavík.
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Award | What They Explored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Harrison Schmitt | American | Leif Erikson Award | He was an Apollo 17 astronaut who did scientific work on the surface of the Moon. He also helped train other astronauts. |
| 2015 | Jessica Watson | Australian | Young Explorer Award | She sailed solo around the world without stopping at age 16. |
| 2015 | Huw Lewis-Jones | British | Exploration History Award | He wrote many books about exploration, including sea voyages and polar trips. |
| 2016 | Scott Parazynski | American | Leif Erikson Award | He is an astronaut who flew on five Space Shuttle missions. He also did seven spacewalks and climbed Mount Everest. |
| 2016 | Tashi and Nungshi Malik | Indian | Young Explorer Award | These twin sisters were the youngest to complete the Explorers Grand Slam. This means they climbed the Seven Summits and reached both Poles. |
| 2016 | Draken Harald Hårfagre | Norwegian | Exploration History Award | Their crew and builders recreated a Viking ship. They sailed across the Atlantic, like the Vikings did. |
| 2016 | Chris Burkard | American | Social Media Award | He is known for his amazing adventure photography. |
| 2017 | Edurne Pasaban | Spanish | Leif Erikson Award | She was the first woman to climb all 14 of the world's highest mountains (over 8,000 meters). |
| 2017 | Alex Bellini | Italian | Young Explorer Award | He rowed solo across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans before he turned 30. |
| 2017 | Haraldur Sigurðsson | Icelandic | Exploration History Award | He is a volcanologist who studies volcanoes. He researched the Santorini volcano and Vesuvius (which buried Pompeii). |
| 2018 | Clive Oppenheimer | British | Leif Erikson Award | He spent 13 seasons studying Mount Erebus. This is the most active volcano in Antarctica. |
| 2018 | Jade Hameister | Australian | Young Explorer Award | She is the youngest person to complete the "polar hat-trick." This means skiing to both poles and crossing the Greenland icecap. |
| 2018 | Cristina Mittermeier | Mexican | Exploration History Award | She is a photographer and writer. Her work focuses on the environment and how people connect with nature. |
| 2019 | Carolyn Porco | American | Leif Erikson Award | She is a planetary scientist who explored the outer Solar System. She was part of the Voyager program team. |
| 2019 | Barbara Zangerl | Australian | Young Explorer Award | She is recognized for her impressive achievements in rock climbing. |
| 2019 | Ben Feist | Canadian | Exploration History Award | He worked to make NASA's Apollo program achievements available online. This helps new generations learn about space history. |
| 2019 | China National Space Administration | Chinese | Lunar Prize | They achieved humanity's first soft landing on the far side of the Moon. |
| 2020 | George Kourounis | Greek-Canadian | Leif Erikson Award | He explores and documents extreme natural events. This includes tornadoes, hurricanes, and lightning. |
| 2020 | Ulyana Horodyskyj | American | Young Explorer Award | She does field work in the Arctic as a glaciologist and geologist. She also helps explain science to others. |
| 2020 | Jeff Blumenfeld | American | Exploration History Award | He has spent 26 years documenting exploration history as an editor. |
| 2020 | Skyrora | Scottish | Lunar Prize | This spaceflight company develops rocket fuel from plastic waste. This helps reduce the environmental impact of launches. |
| 2021 | Will Steger | American | Leif Erikson Award | He is a polar explorer who has explored the Arctic and Antarctic. He also works to protect these important regions. |
| 2021 | Belén Garcia Ovide | American | Young Explorer Award | She is a marine biologist who works to protect the ocean. She does this through exploration and citizen science. |
| 2021 | J. Robert Harris | American | Exploration History Award | He is recognized for his lifetime of exploration. He also works to encourage more diversity in exploration. |
| 2022 | Kathy Sullivan | American | Leif Erikson Award | She is a geologist, oceanographer, and astronaut. She has explored for science throughout her life. |
| 2022 | Dominique Gonçalves | Mozambican | Young Explorer Award | She works on protecting elephants in Gorongosa National Park. |
| 2022 | Geoff Green | Canadian | Exploration History Award | He is an expedition leader who works on educating young people about the polar regions. |
| 2023 | Indian Space Research Organisation | Indian | Scientific Research Award | For their amazing work in lunar exploration, especially landing a spacecraft on the Moon's South Pole. |
Húsavík Explorers Festival
The Leif Erikson Awards are the main part of the yearly Húsavík Explorers Festival. This festival first took place in 2015. It had events in both Húsavík and Reykjavík.
Since 2016, the festival has kept the same exciting format. It includes:
- Short expeditions and outdoor activities around Húsavík.
- Workshops for young explorers.
- Talks by famous explorers.
- Concerts and film screenings.
- Art exhibitions.
See Also
- The Exploration Museum
- The Astronaut Monument
- List of geography awards
