Heyerdahl Recalled as a Hero to 3 Generations
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Hundreds of Norwegians, including the king, bid farewell to Thor Heyerdahl, whose harrowing 1947 voyage from Peru to Polynesia aboard the raft Kon-Tiki made him a national hero and a global celebrity.
The scientist and adventurer died April 18 at age 87 in Italy. About 1,000 people filled Oslo Cathedral for his funeral, with scores more gathered outside.
Heyerdahl had refused food, water and medical treatment after he was found to have an inoperable brain tumor in late March.
“An exciting life is over,” Bishop Gunnar Staalsett said. “He was a hero to three generations.”
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