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Rasmus Björn Anderson
1846–1936
A pioneering Norwegian-American scholar and public figure, he spent his life championing Scandinavian history and culture in the United States. His writing and teaching helped popularize the idea that Norse explorers reached North America long before Columbus.
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About the author
Born in Norway in 1846 and raised in the American Midwest, he became one of the best-known interpreters of Scandinavian culture for English-speaking readers. He taught at the University of Wisconsin and built a reputation as a lecturer, translator, and advocate for Nordic literature, history, and immigration.
He is especially remembered for his book America Not Discovered by Columbus, which argued for the importance of Viking exploration in the story of North America. Beyond scholarship, he also served as the United States minister to Denmark from 1885 to 1889, reflecting the prominence he had achieved in public life.
His long career linked academic work, diplomacy, and cultural promotion, and he remained an influential figure in Norwegian-American history until his death in 1936.