• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Accomplishments / Who Was The First Person To Row Across the Atlantic?

Who Was The First Person To Row Across the Atlantic?

February 17, 2020 by Karen Hill

Believe it or not, it has been done at least twice. On June 6, 1896, two oyster fishermen from New Jersey began a voyage that ranks as one of the world’s greatest sea going feats.

George Harvo and Fred Samuelson climbed into their 18-foot rowboat and began rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, traveling from New York to England. They rowed the entire 3,075 miles in 55 days.

They started their trip with five pair of extra oars, 60 gallons of fresh water, cartons of canned food, and special tanks attached to their boat that would help them stay afloat.

After several weeks at sea, big waves swamped the rowboat, and it overturned. Most of their supplies were lost, but they managed to turn their boat upright and succeeded in getting the water out of it.

Several days later, they hailed a passing freighter and bought some food and water, which kept them alive and well until they reached England. Seventy years later two more men rowed the Atlantic, from Massachusetts to England.

Their trip took 36 days longer than the one made by Jarvo and Samuelson in 1896.

Related Facts

  • What was the voyage across the Atlantic like during the Atlantic slave trade?
  • Was Charles Lindbergh the First Person To Fly across the Atlantic Ocean?
  • How many Africans died in the voyage across the ocean during the Atlantic slave trade?
  • How Do Stars Move Across the Universe and Why Do Stars Move Across the Sky At Night?
  • Who Was The First Person To Fly Across America?
  • If a Coin is Tossed and Lands Tails Ten Times in a Row, What are the Odds That it Will Be Heads on the Eleventh Try?

Filed Under: Accomplishments

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Who Invented The Stanley Steamer?
Next Post: Who Invented the Safety Pin? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy