History
Antarctica was imagined by the Greeks
in 1820 but not even seen till 1821.
350 B.C.
It was the ancient Greeks that came up with the idea of Antarctica they thought if there is the arctic there has to something to balance the earth but they never went there.
1773
In January Captain Cook goes around the Antarctic circle but unfortunately doesn’t sight land.
1819-21
Captain Thaddues Bellingshausen a Russian naval officer the second to go around the Antarctic circle, but he can see land reaching these coordinates 69o 21’ S. 2o 14 W describing it as an “icefield covered with small hillocks” on January 27th 1820.Followed by 3 other people, all these sightings were of the Antarctic Peninsula.
1821
February the 7th was the first known landing on the continent by American sealer Captain John Davis although all historians don’t believe this.
1823
British whaler James Weddell discovers the sea and names it after himself at coordinates 74o 15’ S and no one else manages to reach the Weddell sea again for 80 yrs.
1840’s
A British naval officer and scientist James Clark Ross take two ships called Erebus and Terror they were 80 miles away from the coast, they were stoped by a massive ice barrier which is now called the Ross Ice Shelf, they also discover a active volcano which is named after the ship Erebus and the scientist discovers 145 new species of fish.
Early 20th century
Many expeditions mostly by sealers and whalers to Antarctica.
1902
Captain Scott from UK leads his first expedition with Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson trying to get to the South Pole.
1907-09
Shackleton leads expedition to about 156Km away from the South Pole but has to turn back after running out of supplies.
1909
January, Australian Douglas Mawson successfully reaches the South Pole.
1928
Australian George Wilkins and American Carl Eielson are the first to fly over the Antarctic Peninsula.
1929
Richard E. Byrd from the US are the first to fly over the South Magnetic Pole.
1935
Caroline Mikkelsen from Norway is the first woman to set foot on Antarctica.
1947
Operation Highjump-US-sends about 4700 men, 13 ships and 23 airplanes the coast is photographed for mapping.
1957-1958
IGY (International Geophysical Year) 12 nations establish over 60 stations in Antarctica.
1961
The Antarctic treaty comes into effect.
Open the Antarctic Treaty here.
350 B.C.
It was the ancient Greeks that came up with the idea of Antarctica they thought if there is the arctic there has to something to balance the earth but they never went there.
1773
In January Captain Cook goes around the Antarctic circle but unfortunately doesn’t sight land.
1819-21
Captain Thaddues Bellingshausen a Russian naval officer the second to go around the Antarctic circle, but he can see land reaching these coordinates 69o 21’ S. 2o 14 W describing it as an “icefield covered with small hillocks” on January 27th 1820.Followed by 3 other people, all these sightings were of the Antarctic Peninsula.
1821
February the 7th was the first known landing on the continent by American sealer Captain John Davis although all historians don’t believe this.
1823
British whaler James Weddell discovers the sea and names it after himself at coordinates 74o 15’ S and no one else manages to reach the Weddell sea again for 80 yrs.
1840’s
A British naval officer and scientist James Clark Ross take two ships called Erebus and Terror they were 80 miles away from the coast, they were stoped by a massive ice barrier which is now called the Ross Ice Shelf, they also discover a active volcano which is named after the ship Erebus and the scientist discovers 145 new species of fish.
Early 20th century
Many expeditions mostly by sealers and whalers to Antarctica.
1902
Captain Scott from UK leads his first expedition with Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson trying to get to the South Pole.
1907-09
Shackleton leads expedition to about 156Km away from the South Pole but has to turn back after running out of supplies.
1909
January, Australian Douglas Mawson successfully reaches the South Pole.
1928
Australian George Wilkins and American Carl Eielson are the first to fly over the Antarctic Peninsula.
1929
Richard E. Byrd from the US are the first to fly over the South Magnetic Pole.
1935
Caroline Mikkelsen from Norway is the first woman to set foot on Antarctica.
1947
Operation Highjump-US-sends about 4700 men, 13 ships and 23 airplanes the coast is photographed for mapping.
1957-1958
IGY (International Geophysical Year) 12 nations establish over 60 stations in Antarctica.
1961
The Antarctic treaty comes into effect.
Open the Antarctic Treaty here.
