Norwegian adventurer, a sailor and descendent of the Vikings who sailed a balsa raft, the “Kon Tiki,” across the Pacific in 1947 with a crew of five. In 1969, he attempted to cross the Atlantic in “Ra,” but failed 600 miles short of land. His second attempt to cross the Atlantic, in the “Ra II,” succeeded; the trip lasted from 17 March to 12 August 1970.
Fluent in six languages and married three times, with five kids in various parts of the world, Heyerdahl has rarely stayed anyplace for long. After getting his degree in biology and geography, he set off for the South Seas in 1937. He took his young bride on his first field trip; they had two sons and divorced in 1948. His second wife bore him three daughters in their 20 years together, divorcing amicably in 1969. By 1990, the 75-year-old world-class adventurer was investigating archaeological ruins in Peru. He maintained a daunting pace of research, lectures and public debate over his unconventional theories on human migration. His third wife, Jacqueline, said he made 70 airline trips in 2001
When diagnosed with brain cancer, Heyerdahl, 87, refused food, water or treatment on 9 April 2002 and slipped into a coma a week later. He died in his sleep on the night of 18 April 2002, near Colla Michari, Italy.
Link to Wikipedia biography