October 12

Jean Ribault (1520-1565) led ambitious French expeditions to Florida and the southeastern coast of North America. He established the short-lived Charlesfort colony on Parris Island and mapped vast stretches of coastline. His navigational charts aided French colonial ambitions, but he was eventually captured and executed by the Spanish. Renowned for his seafaring skills, Ribault's explorations marked an important chapter in the contest for New World territories.

Peter Aufschnaiter was part of the 1934 Nanga Parbat expedition and was captured by British forces on the Indian border. He escaped a prisoner-of-war camp in 1944 and trekked over the Himalayas to reach Lhasa alongside Heinrich Harrer. In Tibet, Aufschnaiter served as a government cartographer, creating some of the first detailed maps of the region. His geographical and botanical observations enhanced Western knowledge of the Himalayas. After returning to Europe, he published accounts of his adventures and continued mountaineering. Aufschnaiter's daring exploits and scholarly contributions made him a legend of exploration.

Hilaire du Berrier was a colorful American-French aviator, adventurer, and writer whose life resembled an action novel. Born in 1906, he flew for Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War and later flew transport missions in Asia during World War II. Known for his daring exploits as a mercenary pilot, he worked in Indochina and China, engaging in clandestine operations. After the war, du Berrier chronicled his adventures in a series of memoirs and articles, offering vivid accounts of early aviation and espionage. His writing captured the thrill and danger of flying in remote regions under combat conditions. Du Berrier's unique perspective bridged the worlds of aviation, military history, and literature. He maintained friendships with prominent pilots and journalists of his era. He died in 2002, leaving behind a remarkable record of 20th-century adventure.