Some Of The Greatest Historical Pictures Ever

Gunnar Kaasen and his Lead Dog Balto Delivering Diphtheria Antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, 1925

Some people have just got the stuff of heroes, and Norwegian dog sledder Gunnar Kaasen is one of them. He found his way to the United States during the early 20^th-century gold rush where he learned that he learned that he was a great musher. He then moved to Nome, Alaska.

During an outbreak of diphtheria in the town, a group of mushers went on a multi-day, 674-mile relay to get the medication to those who needed it. During the journey, Kaasen had his sled flipped upside down due to intense winds, but he still managed to make to back on schedule, thereby saving the town.