-
Captain Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle
Captain Cook crosses the Antarctic circle. Although he doesn't sight the land, he found rock deposits in icebergs which showed that a continent does exist. -
Captain Thaddeus Bellingshausen sights Antarctica
He was the second person to cross the Antarctic Circle after Captain Cook. When he spotted Antarctica, he said that it was like an 'icefield with small hillocks on it'. These sightings were of the Antarctic Peninsula. -
Weddell seal discovered
A whaler, James Weddell discovered a seal which lives in the Antarctic and named it after himself. -
Antarctica is established as a continent
After sailing along its coastline, a British Naval officer and 2 scientists sail within 80 miles of the coast until they reached an ice barrier know as the Ross Ice Shelf. -
Adrien de Gerlache and the crew of the "Belgica" become trapped in pack ice
During the first official Antarctic Expedition, explorer, Adrien de Gerlache gets trapped in pack ice off the Antarctic Peninsula. -
Carsten Borchgrevink leads a British Expedition to Antarctica.
Carsten lands on Antarctica to build huts. This was the first time anyone had wintered on Antarctica and was also believed to be the first people to land on the continent. -
Captain Scott leads his first Antarctic Expedition.
Captain Scott alongside Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson went on their first Antarctic expedition but unfortunately, they had to turn back after 2 months due to snow scurvy and blindness. -
Ernest Shackleton goes on second expedition
Ernest Shackleton goes on second expedition but once again, was forced to turn back as their supplies had ran out. -
Douglas Mawson reaches Magnetic South Pole.
-
Roald Admundsen reaches South Pole during a 5 man trip.
-
Robert Falcon Scott goes to Antarctica
Robert arrives in Antarctica only to be beaten by Admunson. On the way back Admundson's company died. Douglas Mawson treks across the George V land to Commonwealth Base. His 2 companions die and against all odds, Mawson miraculously survives. -
Ernest Shackleton's 3rd Expedition
Ernest Shackleton returns to Antarctica inhales of crossing Antarctica. Although this wasn't successful, it was considered to be one of the most exciting adventures of all time. Their ship had crashed into pack ice thus them being stranded on the continent for 2 years. People had to dispatch a search team and they weren't found until 1917. -
Richard E. Byrd and three others - US - become the first to fly over the South Pole.
-
Biggest US/Antarctic Operation.
4700 men, 13 ships and 23 airplanes are sent to Antarctica to take photos of the land for map making. This is called operation High Jump. -
Boerge Ouseland
He became first person to cross Antarctica alone which only skis, sled and sails. It took him 64 days.
