Robert Falcon Scott

Robert Falcon Scott is remembered for his bravery in losing the race to the South Pole. His first expedition on the Discovery (1901-04, an attempt that included Ernest Shackleton) took him within 450 miles of the South Pole before he had to turn back. Scott later led the Terra Nova expedition, which reached the pole in January, 1912 -- only to discover that Norwegian Roald Amundsen had been there a month earlier. On the return trip Scott and his party of four all died of hunger and extreme cold. Their bodies were found 11 miles from a food and fuel depot.

Extra credit: Scott's only son, Peter Markham Scott, was a co-founder of the World Wildlife Fund and participated in the hunt for the Loch Ness Monster.