Voting Station

John Wesley Powell

Please vote to return to collections.

Explorer

The Resume

    (March 24, 1834-September 23, 1902)
    Born in Mount Morris, New York
    Soldier/geologist/explorer
    Headed the Powell Geographic Expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers (1869)
    Expedition was first to pass through the Grand Canyon
    Director of the US Geological Survey (1881-94)

Why he might be annoying:

    He attended three colleges without graduating.
    He married his first cousin.
    He filed for an army pension claiming 'total and permanent disability' just four years before rafting down the Grand Canyon.
    When photographing Native Americans, he would often insist that they wear fake headdresses for the pictures.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He lost an arm during the Battle of Shiloh, and raw nerve endings in the arm would cause him pain for the rest of his life.
    He had a great curiosity about American Indian languages and believed that they should be allowed to live according to their own traditions.
    At a time when most scientific expeditions to the West used military escorts for security, he never even carried a gun.
    His 'The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons' was named the 4th best adventure book of all time by National Geographic.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 17 Votes: 64.71% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 10 Votes: 10.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 26 Votes: 3.85% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 17 Votes: 47.06% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 14 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 19 Votes: 52.63% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying