-
-
1773 - 1775
Captain James Cook and his crew became the first people to cross the Antarctic Circle. -
Fabian Bellinghausen became the first person to see Antarctica.
-
Fabian Bellingshausen went back down to Antarctica and found Peter Island and the Alexander Islands. He circumnavigated Antarctica. He was the second person to do so. The first person was Captain James Cook.
-
American Seal Hunter, John Davis became the first person to step foot on the Antarctic Continent, but this is not acknowledged by many historians.
-
James weddell sailed to 74 degrees south and this was the farthest south ever reached. He discovered a new sea in the Antarctic. It was named after him and is called the weddell Sea.
No one couldn't reach the Weddell sea again for 80 years after his discovery. -
Lieutenant Charles Wilkes explored Antarctica and sighted an area in the east of Antarctica that was later named Wilkes Land.
-
James Clark Ross went to Antarctica to reach the South Magnetic Pole. He travelled to a sea which was later named after him, the Ross Sea. He also discovered the Ross Ice Shelf, the coast of Victoria Land and Mount Erebus.
-
Captain Carl Larsen landed near the Antarctic Peninsula on Seymour Island and discovered fossils that proved that there was once warm climate in Antarctica.
-
Carsten Borchgrevink and his crew landed at Cape Adare. They built huts and became the first people to stay at Antarctica in winter.
-
Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson and Ernest Shackleton travelled to Antarctica to reach the South Pole. They left McMurdo Sound and headed accross the Ross Ice Shelf. About two months later they were showing signs of scurvy and were very weak so they turned back. They still covered about 3000 miles of land.
-
Ernest Shackleton and three other men travelled to Antarctica in an attempt to reach the South Pole. In about 30 days they beat Robert Scott's attempt. They were about 180 km from the South Pole but they were too ill so they turned back.
-
In January, Edgeworth David, Douglas Mawson and Alistair McKay reach the Magnetic South Pole.
The south Magnetic Pole is located on the Earth's surface and it moves about 5km per year. -
Roald Amundsen and his four men travelled to Antartctica and became the first people to reach the South Pole. They reached it in just 57 days because they had discovered a new route. They planted a Norwegian flag and made it safely back home.
-
Robert Falcon Scott, Lawrence Oates, Edgar Evans and Edward Wilson travelled to Antarctica because they wanted to be the first people to the South Pole. Unfortunately, when they reach the pole, they find that they had been beaten by Roald Amundsen. Too depressed by the loss, the four men all die on the return trip. Three of the men died in their tent and the other one commited siucide. They died because they ran out of food and fuel.
-
Douglas Mawson began his trek across George V Land and he was back to his base at Commonwealth Bay. His two men had died but he made it home. A new section of coast was discovered and radio was used for the first time in Antarctica.
-
Ernest shackleton wanted to cross Antarctica, but couldn't because his ship, Endurance got stuck in the ice. In 10 months it sunk. Shackleton took 5 men and travelled toward Elephant Island for help. It was extraordinary that he made it 800 km to elaphant Island and got help. Not only did his men get rescued, but none of his crew died. The men had flipped lifeboats and taken shelter under them.
-
Ernest Shackleton died from a heart attack while on the 'Quest'. He was 48 years old. Shackleton was burried in South Georgia.
-
Lincoln Ellsworth became the first person to fly across the whole of Antarctica.
-
The Antarctic Treaty was signed by twelve leading countries. The treaty made sure that there was no war over Antarctica and Antarctica was only used for scientific reasons. The treaty went into effect in 1961.
