History
Ilulissat was founded by Jakob Severin in 1741 but local history dates back much further. The settlement Sermermiut (which m the glacier people's settlement) is situated a few kilometers southwest of the town beside the mouth of Ilulissat Ice fiord and was inhabited as early as 2000 years B.C. The place where Ilulissat lies today was then used by the Sermimiut people as a summer settlement. In 1734 Jakob Severin obtained a commercial monopoly in Greenland and on January 30, 1741 he wrote to King Christian VI asking for permission to found two colonies, one in Disco Bay and another between Nuuk and Kap Farvel (the present Paamiut). The reason for Jakob Severin to found the colony in Ilulissat was the great number of people who lived around Ilulissat. At that time the area was one of the most densely populated areas in Greenland. Ort April 1, 1741 King Christian VI granted him permission to build a "lodging" 6 7 Danish miles north of Christianshåb. At that time the summer mission's lodging had no name. On January 12, 1742 the king gave his final acceptance that the "lodging" be called Jakobshavn. The "lodging" was upgraded to Jakobshavn "colony" at the beginning of 1782. Ilulissat (the colony Jakobshavn) remained a rather small place of much less importance than other settlements in the area for several decades. Not until the 1800's did the importance of Ilulissat increase when it became a centre for cultural and educational activities in Disko Bay, at the opening of the Teacher's Training College for Northern Greenland in 1848. The college educated catechists to work in churches and schools and also supervised educational and church matters in the northern part of West Greenland.

Knud Rasmussen was born the son of Christian and Sofie Rasmussen on June 7, 1879 in Ilulissat. Chr. Rasmussen was a pastor in the town for many years. His Greenlandic heritage marked him strongly not least his appearance and his manners. His great grandmother, Susanne, was Greenlandic and was married to the colony manager Johannes Winding.
Knud Rasmussen's fame derives from his arctic explorations and his great contribution to an understanding of the lives and minds of the Eskimos. He even learned to speak their language fluently as part of understanding their ideology. He wrote extensively and always by the principle of writing only from first hand experience. He lived to be only 54 years old and died December 21, 1933. Listed below are some of Knud Rasmussen's more extensive expeditions in the arctic region for which he became so famous.

1) Danish Literare Expedition to Greenland 1902 04.
The leader of the expedition was Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen. On this trip the Eskimos' ancient dog sledge route across Melville Bay was reopened. The polar Eskimos' life and culture were also studied.
2) The Ethnographical Expedition to Northwest Greenland 1906 08.
The aim of this expedition was to retrace the route used by Eskimos of earlier periods to travel to Greenland. Ellesmere Island, on the Canadian side of Smith Sound, was else, explored with the amt of testing hunting possibilities prior to a planned trip to the Eskimos out west.
3) 1st Thule Expedition 1912
The purpose of this expedition was to chart the supposedly existent Peary canal. A further aim was to search for the bodies of Ejner Mikkelsen and Iver Iversen who had previously gone missing.
4) 2nd Thule Expedition 1916 18,
The purpose here was to chart the main sections of coast line in Northern Greenland, which were largely unknown at that time.
5) 4th Thule Expedition 1919.
Knud Rasmussen travelled alone to Ammassalik to study aspects of ethnography and folklore.
6) 5th Thule Expedition 1921 24.
Archaeological and ethnographical studies were the main aim of this expedition but there were also secondary tasks in areas of geography and natural history. This expedition was to have been the fulfilment of his dreams. He visited all the Eskimo communities in Canada and Alaska. He had also intended to visit the Asian Eskimos but the Russian authorities did not give him permission.
7) 6th Thule Expedition 193 1.
The purpose was to explore the east coast of Greenland. Due to the difficult ice situation the expedition was carried out from the powerful motor boat "Dagmar".
8) 7th Thule Expedition 1932 33.
There were several goals to this expedition, of which charting and taking aerial photographs of the east coast was the essential goal. Geological, glaciological, zoological, botanical and archaeological studies of the land were also made and an ethnographical study of the folklore of the East Greenlanders. Part of the ethnograhical studies included the shooting of the film "Palos Brudefærd" (Palo's wedding) directed under the super vision of Knud Rasmussen. The film traces a Greenlandic love story.