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James Cook crosses the Antarctic circle and circumnavigates Antarctica, though he doesn't sight land, deposits of rock seen in icebergs showed that a southern continent exists. His comment - "I make bold to declare that the world will derive no benefit from it".
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1st known landing on continental Antarctica by American sealer Captain John Davis, though this is not acknowledged by all historians. In the winter of 1821, for the first time ever a party of 11 men spent a winter in Antarctica. Their ship had been driven offshore and did not return to pick them up again. They were rescued the following summer.
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Adrien de Gerlache and the crew of the "Belgica" become trapped in pack ice off the Antarctic Peninsula in the first scientific expedition to the continent. They become the first to survive an Antarctic winter (involuntarily!) as their ship drifts with the ice (they didn't enjoy it).
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Captain Scott, from the UK leads his first Antarctic expedition to try to reach the South Pole, with Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson. They are forced to turn back two months later having reached 82 degrees south, suffering from snow blindness and scurvy.
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1907 - 1909
Shackleton leads expedition to within 156km / 97mls of the South Pole, turns back after supplies are exhausted. -
When Roald Amundsen made it to the south pole in 1911 he left behind equipment in a small tent to make his load lighter for the return journey.
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Shackleton returns to Antarctica in an attempt to complete the first crossing of the continent. The goal is not attained, but one of the greatest adventures of all time follows. Their ship is crushed in the sea ice and a small party sets out for South Georgia and the whaling station. The party is eventually rescued in 1917.
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Separate British, French and American expeditions establish the status of Antarctica as a continent after sailing along continuous coastline.