Origins & Early Life

Axel Paulsen (18 July 1855 – 9 February 1938) was a Norwegian figure skater and speed skater. He invented the figure skating Axel jump and held the world title in speed skating from 1882 to 1890. In 1976, he was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Paulsen was born in Aker near Christiania (today's Oslo) to Haagine Olsen (1822–1918) and the merchant Johan Peter Paulsen (1820–1887).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He grew up in Oslo, where his father ran a coffee shop. His sister was the soprano Kathinka Paulsen White and his brother was the composer Alfred Paulsen. He started skating at early age and by 1870 already competed both in speed skating and figure skating. In 1882, he won the World Championships in speed skating in Vienna and received an extra prize in figure skating for a new jump, which he performed while wearing speed skates and which was later named after him. In the winter of 1883, Paulsen went to North America to participate in a series of skating events.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

On 8 February 1883 a race was held at the open air rink in Washington Park, Brooklyn, New York. Paulsen defeated 17 picked skaters, the fastest from Norway, Canada, England, and the United States, and set the following...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam Mickiewicz — Contemporary (Died in 1855) (1855): National Poet of Poland, Romantic master, and leading voice of Slavic literature.
• Andrew Mellon — Contemporary (Born in 1855) (1855): American banker, industrialist, and politician who served as Secretary of the Treasury.
• Arthur Guinness II — Contemporary (Died in 1855) (1855): Anglo-Irish brewer, banker, and politician who managed the expansion of the Guinness brewery.
• Alan Bond — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Australian businessman known for high-profile dealings, the America's Cup, and founding Bond University.
• Albert Fert — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering physicist known for the discovery of giant magnetoresistance.
• Anthony Leggett — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for work on superfluidity and low-temperature quantum systems.
• Antoine Watteau — Shared historical date (07-18 · Died) (1721): Pioneering Rococo master, credited with inventing the genre of fêtes galantes.
• Benito Juárez — Shared historical date (07-18 · Died) (1872): Pioneering Indigenous President of Mexico, champion of Liberal reforms and the Republic.
• Adolf Galland — Shared historical date (02-09 · Died) (1996): German Luftwaffe general and celebrated flying ace of World War II.
• Adolph Menzel — Shared historical date (02-09 · Died) (1905): Pioneering German Realist master, celebrated for his detailed etchings and genre scenes.
• 1855 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1855
• July 18 (07-18) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 18
• 1938 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1938
• February 9 (02-09) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on February 9