Elisha, Kane, 1820 - 1857, A Poster of a man in a red coat with snow on his face

Elisha Kent Kane was an American explorer and naval officer who led two expeditions to the Arctic in search of the missing Franklin Expedition. Kane's expeditions made significant contributions to the understanding of the Arctic and its people, and he is considered one of the great explorers of the 19th century. Kane was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1820. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and the Jefferson Medical College, and then joined the United States Navy in 1843. Kane served in the Mexican-American War, and then led his first Arctic expedition in 1850-1851. He returned to the Arctic in 1853-1855, and his second expedition was more successful than his first. Kane's expeditions made significant contributions to the understanding of the Arctic and its people. He discovered new lands, and he collected valuable scientific data. Kane also made important observations about the Inuit people, and he helped to promote understanding between them and the Western world. Kane died in Havana, Cuba, in 1857, at the age of 37.