1925 · Alaska
Nome faced a deadly diphtheria outbreak in winter conditions as low as −50°C.
Balto's Story
In January 1925, a diphtheria outbreak struck the remote town of Nome, Alaska. With ports frozen and planes grounded by fierce storms, the only hope was a relay of sled‑dog teams carrying serum from Nenana to Nome across ice, forest, and wind‑carved tundra — a mission remembered as the Great Race of Mercy.
On the final and most dangerous stretch, a dark husky named Balto led the team of musher Gunnar Kaasen through blinding blizzard conditions. Navigating by instinct when visibility disappeared, Balto reached Nome on February 2, 1925, delivering the antitoxin that helped halt the epidemic.
Balto became a symbol of Endurance · Fidelity · Intelligence. A bronze statue in New York’s Central Park honors the spirit of all the sled dogs who braved the storm to save lives.
