Sir John Franklin, also known as Sir John Rae, was a Canadian Arctic explorer who is best known for his ill-fated expedition to find the Northwest Passage. He was born in England but moved to Canada in 1833 and became a naturalized citizen. He was knighted in 1844 for his service in the Royal Navy and later served as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land. He led two expeditions to the Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage, both of which ended in failure. His last expedition, which began in 1845, was never seen again and its fate remains a mystery.