 Balto Saved the Day! In 1925, a dog named Balto became a hero in a life-or-death race to rescue the children of Nome, Alaska from a diphtheria epidemic. Balto was the lead dog in a team that travelled about 675 miles / 1086 km in just 127½ hours to bring serum to stop an outbreak. The serum was in Anchorage, but the lone aircraft that could quickly deliver the medicine had been dismantled for the winter. In desperation, officials turned to the only remaining alternative - sled dogs - and Balto delivered! Balto was suddenly a world-famous celebrity, and he was honored with a life size statue in New York City's Central Park. For two years after the serum run, the heroic dog and some of his teammates travelled the continental United States as part of a traveling show, and after his death, his body was mounted and put on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race commemorates Balto's historic run.
Click pictures for more information and credits. Library: Sled Dogs, Arctic Countries & Places Links: Arctic, Cold Places Iditarod Sled Dog Race News Story 1: Yellowknife to Baffin Island! News Story 2: 16 Dogs... 4 Women... 2 Sleds... Arctic Maps & Weather Reports |
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DICTIONARY: Just "double-click" any unlinked word on this page for the definition from Merriam-Webster's Student Electronic Dictionary at Word Central. |
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ARCTIC LIBRARY & GLOSSARY: Check this section for an index of the rest of the things you really need to know about the Arctic. |
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ARCTIC MAPS & WEATHER REPORTS: Maps of the Northwest Passage, explorers' routes, iceberg sources, Nunavut, the Arctic by treeline, temperature... |
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ARCTIC LINKS: Even more information! Links to sites related to the Arctic and "Iceberg: the Story of the Throps and the Squallhoots". |
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GUIDE TO ARCTIC SUNRISE & SUNSET: How much sunlight or darkness is there in the Arctic on each day of the year? |
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