The Norwegians Who Crossed the Atlantic from NYC in a Rowboat in 1896

Untapped Cities contributor Dan Thurber, who runs the YouTube channel Bookworm History, has launched a new series called “A City Full of History,” delving into the lesser known aspects of New York City history. The first episode looks at a mostly-forgotten expedition by two Norwegians to take a rowboat across the Atlantic Ocean.

At 5:30 in the evening on June 6, 1896 two Norwegian fishermen pushed off the Battery into New York Harbor to begin one of the most epic, yet often overlooked, journeys across the Atlantic Ocean.  What made the voyage of George Harbo and Frank Samuelsen so incredible isn’t that they crossed the ocean.  It’s that they did it with nothing but a few sets of oars, the strength of their backs, and an 18-foot rowboat.  Come along with us on ‘A City Full of History’ in the video above as we follow the amazing voyage of “The Fox”!