Statue of Balto in Central Park (New York City)

Balto (c. 1922 – 14 March 1933) was a Siberian Husky sled dog (although some sources incorrectly state that he is an Alaskan Malamute) who led his team on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease. ^{[1] [2] [3]} The run is commemorated by the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Balto was named after the Sámi explorer Samuel Balto. This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1932x2580, 1711 KB)Statue of Balto in Central Park (New York City, New York). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1932x2580, 1711 KB)Statue of Balto in Central Park (New York City, New York). ... Central Park is a large public, urban park (843 acres, 3. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia, belonging to the Spitz genetic family. ... Sled dogs, known also as sleigh dogs, sledge dogs or sleddogs are a group of dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a sled or sleigh) over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... During the 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the Great Race of Mercy, 20 mushers and about 150 sled dogs relayed diphtheria antitoxin 674 miles (1,085 km) by dog sled across the U.S. territory of Alaska in a record-breaking five and a half days, saving... An antitoxin is an antibody with the ability to neutralize a specific toxin. ... Nickname: Motto: Big Wild Life Location in the state of Alaska Coordinates: , Borough Municipality of Anchorage Government  - Mayor Mark Begich (D) Area  - Municipality  1,961. ... Aerial view of the harbor in Nome Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast of Norton Sound in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Dog sled A dog sled (or dogsled) is a sled pulled by one or more dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. ... For the current race, see 2007 Iditarod The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, usually called the Iditarod, is an annual dog sled race in Alaska, where mushers and teams of dogs cover about 1,150 miles (1,852 km) in eight to fifteen days. ... The Sami people (also Sámi, Saami, Lapps, sometimes also Laplanders) are the indigenous people of Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. ... Samuel Balto was a Norwegian explorer and adventurer. ...

1925 serum run

In January 1925, doctors realized that a potentially deadly diphtheria epidemic was poised to sweep through Nome's young people. The only serum that could stop the outbreak was in Anchorage, nearly a thousand miles (1,600 km) away. The only two aircraft that could quickly deliver the medicine had been dismantled for the winter; after considering alternatives, officials decided to move the medicine by sled dog. The serum was transported by train from Anchorage to Nenana, where the first musher embarked as part of a relay aimed at delivering the needed serum to Nome. More than 20 mushers took part, facing a blizzard with −53 °F temperatures and strong winds. News coverage of the race was worldwide. Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In epidemiology, an epidemic (from [[Latin language] epi- upon + demos people) is a disease that appears as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at a rate that substantially exceeds what is expected, based on recent experience (the number of new cases in the population during... “Miles” redirects here. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 106 and 107 m (1,000 and 10,000 km). ... Sled dogs, known also as sleigh dogs, sledge dogs or sleddogs are a group of dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a sled or sleigh) over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines. ... Nenana (IPA pronunciation: ) is a Home Rule City in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... A team of six white, husky-type dogs Mushing also means playing on a MUSH. Mushing also can be used to describe the kneading behavior of domestic cats when they are content or are preparing to settle for a nap. ... This article is about the winter storm condition. ... For other uses, see Fahrenheit (disambiguation). ...

On February 2, 1925, the Norwegian Gunnar Kaasen drove his team, led by Balto into Nome. The longest and most hazardous stretch of the run was actually covered by another Norwegian, Leonhard Seppala and his dog team, led by Togo. They came from Nome towards the end of the run and picked up the serum from musher Henry Ivanoff. The serum was later passed to Kaasen. is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Gunnar Kaasen (1882 - 1964) was a Norwegian musher. ... Leonhard Seppala (September 14, 1877 – 1967) was a Norwegian of Finnish-speaking (Kven) descent who had emigrated to Alaska during the Nome gold rush of 1900 and, in 1913, inherited a team of imported Chukchi huskies, later to be known as Siberian dogs or Siberian Huskies. ...

Kaasen did not consider Balto a particularly good lead dog, but Balto proved himself on the Iditarod trail, saving his team from certain death in the Topkok River. Balto was also able to stay on the trail in near whiteout conditions in which Kaasen admitted he could barely see his hand in front of his face. During a blizzard, Kaasen and his team missed the last sled dog team and had to take the medicine twice as long, which was what made them so famous. Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility is reduced by snow and diffuse lighting from overcast clouds. ...

Aftermath

After the mission's success, Balto and Kaasen became celebrities. A statue of Balto, sculpted by Frederick Roth, was erected in New York City's Central Park on December 17, 1925, just 10 months after Balto's arrival in Nome. Balto himself was present for the monument's unveiling. ^[3] The statue is located on the main path leading north from the Tisch Children’s Zoo. ^[4] In front of the statue a low-relief slate plaque depicts Balto's sled team, and bears the following inscription: Frederick George Richard Roth (1892 – 1944) was an American sculptor best known for portraying living animals. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Central Park is a large public, urban park (843 acres, 3. ... The Central Park Zoo is located in Central Park in New York City and run by the Wildlife Conservation Society. ...

Balto and his companions were bought by vaudeville sideshow operators and toured the country for the next two years. Hearing of this, Cleveland, Ohio residents raised $2,000 to purchase the seven dogs and gave them a permanent home at the Cleveland Zoo in March 1927. They received a hero's welcome, attracting more than 15,000 visitors on their first day in the zoo. Balto died in Cleveland on March 14, 1933, at 11 years old; his body was stuffed and placed on display in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Sideshow (disambiguation). ... Cleveland redirects here. ... Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is a zoo in Cleveland, Ohio. ... A mounted snow leopard. ... The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum located approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of downtown Cleveland, Ohio in University Circle, a 500 acre (2 km²) concentration of educational, cultural and medical institutions. ...

On December 22, 1995, Universal Pictures released the animated film Balto. The film was loosely based on the events of the 1925 Serum Run. Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long. ...

Reference was also made to Balto in the Alistair Maclean novel "Night Without End".

References

External links

• Iditarod background from the Iditarod Trail Committee
• "The story of the REAL Balto"
• Balto in the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
• Balto at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
• The history of the Serum Run