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Events in the History of Antarctica

  • 1773

    1773
    captain James Cook crossed the Antarctic circle and circumnavigates Antarctica.
  • 1821

    1821
    First known landing on continental Antarctica by American sealer captain John Davis.
  • 1823

    1823
    British Whaler James Weddell discovers the sea named after him.
  • 1840's

    seperate British, French and American expeditions establish the ststus of Antarctica as a continent.
  • 1898

    Adrien de Gerlache and the crew of the ''Belgica'' become trapped in pack ice off the Antarctica Peninsula in the first scienific expedition to the continent.
  • 1899

    Carsten Borchgrevink leads a British expedition that landed men at Cape Adare and built huts.
  • 1901

    Captain Scott leads his first Antarctic expedition to try to reach the south pole with Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson.
  • 1907-1909 Ernest Shackleton

    1907-1909 Ernest Shackleton
    Leads expedition to within 156km of the south pole but turns back after supplies are exhausted.
  • 1909

    1909
    Douglas Mawson reaches the south Magnetic pole.
  • 1911

    Norwegian Roald Amundsen leads a five man expidition that reaches the South Pole for the first time.
  • 1912

    Robert Falcon Scott reaches the south pole to discover he has been beaten by Amundesen.
  • 1912

    Douglas Mawson begins his trek across George V Land back to his base at Commonwealth Bay.
  • 1915

    1915
    Ernest Shackleton returns to Antarctica in an attemp to complete the first crossing of the continent. This does not happen and their ship is crushed in the sea ice and a small paryt sets out for south Georgia and trhe whaling station.
  • 1928

    Australian Sir George Wilkins and American Carl Benjamin Eielson are the first to fly over Antarctica.
  • 1929

    Richard E. Byrd and three others -US- become the first to fly over the south pole.
  • 1935

    1935
    Lincoln Ellsworth - US- flies across the continent.
    Caroline Mikkelsen, Norway, is the first woman to set foot on Antarctica.
  • 1947

    Operation Highjump - US- sends the largest ever expedition.
  • 1956

    1956
    USaircraft lands at south pole.
  • Period: to

    INTERNATIONALGEOPHYSICAL YEAR (IGY)

    12 Nations establish over 60 stations in Antarctica.
  • 1961

    Antarctic treaty comes into effect.