In 1926, when Italian explorer Umberto Nobile decided to be the first person to fly over the North Pole (yeah, I guess that used to be a big deal), he decided to bring his beloved Fox Terrier, Titina, along for the ride.
Because of the cramped conditions on board the airship, Nobile’s crew didn’t want their captain to bring his pooch on board. But Nobile had rescued Titina from a treatless life on the streets of Rome. They did everything together.
There was no way he was going to leave his best friend Titina behind while he “conquered” the North Pole.
After the success of the mission, Nobile refused to be photographed without his precious Titina, and eventually she became more famous than the rest of the crew.
Titina started hanging with fellow celebs like silent film star Rudolph Valentino, had photo shoots with the royal family of Norway, and even met the Mayor of New York and the President of the United States! The world was fascinated by the adorable pup that had braved her master’s skyborne ways to be the first dog to fly over the North Pole.
Since Titina became the mascot of his adventures, Nobile decided to take Titina on a second polar voyage. But this expedition didn’t go as well as the first and the airship crashed on the plains of the freezing tundra.
When the rescue ship arrived, the pilot informed the Arctic castaways that he only had room for the famous leader of their expedition, Umberto Nobile. Much to his crew’s chagrin, Nobile left them there on the ice, taking only his beloved Titina. The crew was rescued later, but the decision to take his dog over his crew destroyed Nobile’s reputation. Personally, I can’t blame him. I’d have chosen my dog over my co-workers any day!
