Hoffmann, Roald, 1937-, American chemist, b. Złoczów, Poland (now Zolochiv, Ukraine), Ph.D. Harvard, 1962. After receiving his degree and working with Robert Woodward at Harvard (1962-65), he became (1965) a professor at Cornell. His work analyzing the mechanics of chemical reactions led to his sharing the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1981 with Kenichi Fukui of Japan. A poet as well as a chemist, Hoffmann is the author of several books of poetry and essays, including The Metamict State (1987), Gaps and Verges (1990), Memory Effects (1999), and with S. Leibowitz Schmidt, Old Wine, New Flasks: Reflections on Science and Jewish Tradition (1997). He also wrote two popular-science books, Chemistry Imagined: Reflections on Science (1993) and The Same and Not the Same (1995), and in 1993 he hosted a 26-segment television documentary on the Public Broadcasting Service entitled The World of Chemistry.

Amundsen, Roald (Roald Engelbregt Grauning Amundsen), 1872-1928, Norwegian polar explorer; the first person to reach the South Pole. He served (1897-99) as first mate on the Belgica (under the Belgian Adrien de Gerlache) in an expedition to the Antarctic, and he commanded the Gjöa in the Arctic in the first negotiation of the Northwest Passage (1903-6); the Gjöa was the first single ship to complete the route through the Northwest Passage. His account appeared in English as Amundsen's North West Passage (1908). He then purchased Fridtjof Nansen's Fram and prepared to drift toward the North Pole and then finish the journey by sledge. The news that Robert E. Peary had anticipated him in reaching the North Pole caused Amundsen to consider going south. He was successful in reaching the South Pole on Dec. 14, 1911, after a dash by dog team and skis from the Bay of Whales (an inlet of Ross Sea). He arrived there just 35 days before Robert F. Scott. This story he told in The South Pole (tr. 1913). In the course of these expeditions, he added much valuable scientific and geological information to the knowledge of Antarctica.

In 1918, back in the Arctic, Amundsen set out to negotiate the Northeast Passage in the Maud. After two winters he arrived at Nome, the first after N. A. E. Nordenskjöld to sail along the whole northern coast of Europe and Asia. Amundsen then turned to air exploration. He and Lincoln Ellsworth in 1925 failed to complete a flight across the North Pole, but the next year in the dirigible Norge, built and piloted by Umberto Nobile, they succeeded in flying over the pole and the hitherto unexplored regions of the Arctic Ocean N of Alaska. A bitter controversy followed with Nobile as to the credit for the success. Yet in 1928, when Nobile crashed in the Italia, Amundsen set out on a rescue attempt that cost him his life. Although credit for the first flight over the North Pole has long been given to Richard Byrd, notes from Byrd's diary suggest that he may not actually have reached the pole, in which case Amundsen and Nobile would hold that distinction. The story of the ventures with Ellsworth, written by the two of them, appear in Our Polar Flight (1925) and The First Crossing of the Polar Sea (1927).

Dahl, Roald, 1916-90, British writer known for inventive, often macabre children's books and horror-tinged adult fiction. Dahl spurned a university education in favor of world travel, journeying to Newfoundland and Dar-es-Salaam, where he worked (1937-39) for an oil company. He was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot during World War II, serving in North Africa, Greece, and Syria. He survived a crash in Libya, and was posted (1942-43) to Washington, D.C., as assistant air attaché (and also, it was later disclosed, worked as a spy for Great Britain). Dahl's first fiction, stories drawn from his RAF experiences, was published in a popular American magazine, and the first of his 19 children's books, The Gremlins, appeared in 1943. During the later 1940s and 50s, while working as a television writer, Dahl wrote compelling short stories filled with strange characters and eerie twists that were published in such collections as Someone like You (1953, rev. ed. 1961) and Kiss Kiss (1959); his collected stories was published in 2006. He returned to young people's tales with James and the Giant Peach (1961, film 1996). Extremely successful, it was followed by such popular books as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964, filmed as Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 1971, and as originally titled, 2005), Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970), The Witches (1983, film 1990), and Matilda (1988, film 1996). He also wrote three novels and several screenplays. Dahl was married (1953-83) to the actress Patricia Neal.

(born July 16, 1872, Borge, near Oslo, Nor.—disappeared June 18, 1928?, Arctic Ocean) Norwegian explorer, leader of the first group to reach the South Pole. In 1897 he took part in a Belgian expedition that was the first to winter in the Antarctic. In 1903–05 he was the first to navigate the Northwest Passage. He planned an expedition to the North Pole, but, after learning that Robert E. Peary had reached that goal, he set off for the South Pole in 1910. He prepared his trip carefully and in October 1911 set out with four men, 52 dogs, and four sledges. He reached the South Pole in December 1911, one month before Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated attempt. He returned to Norway and established a successful shipping business. In 1926 he and Umberto Nobile (1885–1978) passed over the North Pole in a dirigible. Amundsen disappeared in 1928 while flying to rescue Nobile from a dirigible crash.

Learn more about Amundsen, Roald (Engelbregt Gravning) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born Sept. 13, 1916, Llandaff, Wales—died Nov. 23, 1990, Oxford, Eng.) British writer. A fighter pilot during World War II, he began his writing career when C.S. Forester encouraged him to write about his combat adventures; they were published by The Saturday Evening Post. The short-story collection Someone Like You (1953) was a best-seller; his later stories, many published in The New Yorker, often include bizarre or supernatural elements. His popular children's books James and the Giant Peach (1961) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) were made into films.

Learn more about Dahl, Roald with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born July 16, 1872, Borge, near Oslo, Nor.—disappeared June 18, 1928?, Arctic Ocean) Norwegian explorer, leader of the first group to reach the South Pole. In 1897 he took part in a Belgian expedition that was the first to winter in the Antarctic. In 1903–05 he was the first to navigate the Northwest Passage. He planned an expedition to the North Pole, but, after learning that Robert E. Peary had reached that goal, he set off for the South Pole in 1910. He prepared his trip carefully and in October 1911 set out with four men, 52 dogs, and four sledges. He reached the South Pole in December 1911, one month before Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated attempt. He returned to Norway and established a successful shipping business. In 1926 he and Umberto Nobile (1885–1978) passed over the North Pole in a dirigible. Amundsen disappeared in 1928 while flying to rescue Nobile from a dirigible crash.

Learn more about Amundsen, Roald (Engelbregt Gravning) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born Sept. 13, 1916, Llandaff, Wales—died Nov. 23, 1990, Oxford, Eng.) British writer. A fighter pilot during World War II, he began his writing career when C.S. Forester encouraged him to write about his combat adventures; they were published by The Saturday Evening Post. The short-story collection Someone Like You (1953) was a best-seller; his later stories, many published in The New Yorker, often include bizarre or supernatural elements. His popular children's books James and the Giant Peach (1961) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) were made into films.

Learn more about Dahl, Roald with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Roald is a village on the island Vigra in the municipality of Giske, Norway. Its population (2006) is 711.

It is also an old name for the former municipality Vigra.

At Roald you can go fishing, take a swim, and there is a nice guest harbour if you want to visit the island Vigra by boat. At Roald you can find a grocery shop, hairdresser, there are businesses providing various spa treatments and some other businesses, for instance selling different dishes made of fish.

Roald is about 20 km from the centre of Ålesund, and you get there by driving through two subsea tunnels (opened 1987 and will be going through extensive upgrades from Sept 08. Toll until Sept 09) and pass Ålesund Airport, Vigra. There is a regular bus service from Ålesund to Vigra.

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