Grande Médaille d'Or des Explorations

The Grande Médaille d’Or des Explorations et Voyages de Découverte (Great Gold Medal of Exploration and Journeys of Discovery) has been awarded since 1829 by the Société de Géographie of France for journeys whose outcomes have enhanced geographical knowledge.[1]

Recipients of Medal

YearRecipientReason
2007 Jean Raspailfor the sum of his work
2006 Eric Orsennafor the sum of his work, Salut au Grand Sud and Voyages aux Pays du Coton
2005 Jean-Marc Pineaufor having retraced on foot the journey of René Caillié and his account of the journey Sur les pas de René Caillié
2004Gilles Elkaïmfor his Arctic expedition of 2000-2004
2003Nicolas Hulotfor his expeditions, his television programs and his works
2002Jean-Yves Empereur for his archaeological discoveries in Egypt, notably in the port of Alexandria (underwater archaeology)
2001Yann Arthus-Bertrandfor the sum of his photographic work
1999Georges Pernoudfor his television series Thalassa
1998Patrice Franceschifor his New Guinea expedition
1991Jean-Louis Étiennefor his transantarctic expedition
1979Norbert Casteret for Speleology
1977Germaine Dieterlen for Ethnology, especially the black civilisations (Dogon, Molinké and Bambara)
1970Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins for the first landing on the moon
1958Vivian Fuchs for the first transantarctic expedition and complete crossing of the continent
1957Henri Lhotefor his travel and archaeological work in the Sahara
1955John Hunt, Baron Hunt, Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgayfor the first ascent of Mount Everest
1954Georges Houot and Pierre Willm for the first dive into the deep ocean in a Bathyscaphe
1953Augustin Lombard for his study trip up Mount Everest
1952Théodore Monod for expeditions and studies in Africa
1950French expedition to the Himalayas and Maurice Herzogfor the first ascent of Annapurna
1939Alexander Hamilton Ricefor his exploration of the Amazon Basin
1933Georges Marie Haardt and Louis Audoin-Dubreuilfor the Citroën Expedition to Central Asia, 1931-1932
1932Wickliffe Preston Draper for the Augiéras-Draper Expedition (Southern Sahara), 1927-1928
1929Ahmed Hassanein and Prince Kamal el Dine Husseinfor their exploration of the eastern Sahara
1928Jacques de Rohan-Chabotfor exploration in Angola
1927Charles Lindberghfor the first crossing of the Atlantic by aeroplane
1925Baron Adrien de Guerlache de Gomeryfor the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1897-1899 and 1905-07-09
1924Bruneau de Laboriefor the journey from Cameroon to Cairo via Lake Tchad and the Libyan desert
1924Ole Olufsenfor his journey to the French Sahara
1923Rosita Forbes for her exploration of the Kufra oasis
1923Sir Aurel Stein for explorations in central Asia
1922Charles Granville Bruce for the Everest Expedition of 1922
1922Charles Howard-Buryfor the Everest Expedition of 1921
1918Jean Tilhofor the expedition to central Africa
1914Admiral Robert E. Pearyfor the discovery of the North Pole
1913Raoul Amundsenfor the discovery of the South Pole
1912Jean-Baptiste Charcotfor his Antarctic expeditions
1910Sir Ernest Shackleton for exploration of Antarctica
1907Colonel Robert Emile Bourgeoisfir his geodesic expedition at the Equator
1904Sven Hedin for his explorations in central Asia, 1894-1902
1903Auguste Pavie for his exploration of Indo-China, 1879-1895
1902Captain Paul-Jules Joalland for the (Joalland-Meynier) expedition to central Africa, 1899-1901
1901Fernand Foureau for the (Foureau-Lamy) trans-Sahara expedition, 1898-1900
1900Jean-Baptiste Marchand for the Congo-Nile expedition, 1896-1899
1899Emile Gentil for exploration in Africa, from the Congo to Chad, 1895-1898
1898Édouard Foà for his crossing of equatorial Africa, 1894-1897
1897Fridtjof Nansen for his crossing of the Arctic Sea, 1893-1896
1896Prince Henri of Orléans for his journey from the Gulf of Tonkin to the Gulf of Bombay, 1895
1893Parfait-Louis Monteilfor his journey from Senegal to Tripoli via Chad
1891Gabriel Bonvalot for his journey from Siberia to Tonkin via Tibet
1890Captain Louis Gustave Binger for his journey of exploration from the Upper Niger to the Gulf of Guinea
1886Hermenegildo de Brito Capelofor his journey across southern Africa
1884Alphonse Milne-Edwardsfor underwater surveying and dredging from the ships Travailleur and Talisman
1881Major Alexandre de Serpa Pintofor his journey across Africa
1880Adolf NordenskjoldThe North-west Passage
1879Pierre Savorgnan de Brazzafor his exploration of the Upper Ogoue
1878Henry Morton Stanleyfor his journey across equatorial Africa
1877Verney Lovett Cameronfor his journey across equatorial Africa
1876Gustav Nachtigalfor his journey across central Africa
1872Alfred Grandidierfor his exploration of Madagascar
1869Ernest Doudart de Lagrée and Francis Garnier for their exploration of Indo-China
1867Sir Samuel White Bakerfor his journey in equatorial Africa
1864Henri Duveyrier for his exploration of the Algerian Sahara and the country of the Touareg
1861Nicolas de Khanikof for his exploration of the Khorassan
1860Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke for their exploration of the great lakes of east Africa
1859Hermann, Robert and Adolf von Schlagintweit for their explorations in Tibet and Turkestan
1858Elisha Kent Kanefor his journey to the Arctic regions
1857David Livingstonfor his journeys across southern Africa
1856Henry Barthfor his journey to Timbuktu
1855Captain Robert McClure for discovering the North-west Passage
1850Antoine and Arnaud-Michel d'Abbadie for their journey in Abyssinia
1847Ludwig Leichhardt for his journey in Australia
Rochet d’Héricourt for his journey in Choa
1846Charles Tilstone Beke and Theophile Lefebvre for their journey in Abyssinia (medal returned by Beke)
1845Claude Gay for his journey to Chile
Pierre Victor Ferret and Joseph Galinier for their journey in Abyssinia
1844Xavier Hommaire de Hellfor his voyage on the Caspian Sea
Joseph-Pons d'Arnaudfor his journey towards the source of the White Nile
1843James Clark Rossfor his discoveries in the Antarctic seas
1841Rear-admiral Dumont d’Urville for his voyage to the South Pole and Oceania
1838Dubois de Montpereux for his journey in the Caucasus region
1837Captain George Back for his voyages in the Arctic region
1836Captain Camille Callier for his journeys in the Orient (Middle East)
1835Alcide d’Orbigny for his journeys in southern America
1834Captain John Ross for his voyages in the Polar seas
1832Jean Baptiste Douville for his journey to the Congo and in equatorial Africa
1830René Caillié and Major Alexander Gordon Laing for their journey to Timbuktu
1829Captain John Franklin for his voyage to the polar region

References

  1. "GRANDE MÉDAILLE D’OR DES EXPLORATIONS ET VOYAGES DE DÉCOUVERTE (in French)". Société de géographie. Retrieved 1 December 2014.