ANTARCTICA

By swe06
  • 350 BCE

    Antarctica 350 B.C

    It was the ancient Greeks who first came up with the idea of Antarctica. They knew about the Arctic - named Arktos -The Bear, from the constellation the great bear and decided that in order to balance the world, there should be a similar cold Southern landmass that was the same but the opposite "Ant - Arktos" - opposite The Bear. They never actually went there, it was just a lucky guess! Did anyone see a continent around here?

  • 1773

    In January, Captain 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".

  • 1823

    Whales weren't keen on Antarctica being explored either British whaler James Weddell discovers the sea named after him and then reaches the most southerly point at that time 74° 15' S. No one else manages to penetrate the Weddell sea again for 80 years.

  • 1840

    Separate British, French and American expeditions establish the status of Antarctica as a continent after sailing along continuous coastline. In 1840, British naval officer and scientist James Clark Ross takes two ships, the Erebus and the Terror, to within 80 miles of the coast until stopped by a massive ice barrier - now called the Ross Ice Shelf.

  • Late 1800's to early 20th Century

    Many expeditions largely by sealers and whalers to all parts of Antarctica.Mainly marine exploration and exploration of the sub Antarctic islands. Oh, a life on the ocean wave.......

  • 1901

    Captain Scott, 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.

  • 1928

    Australian Sir Hubert Wilkins and American Carl Benjamin Eielson are the first to fly over Antarctica around the peninsula region.

  • 1947

    Operation Highjump - US- sends the largest ever expedition of over 4700 men, 13 ships and 23 airplanes to Antarctica. Most of the coast is photographed for map making.

  • 1957

    1st July 1957 - 31st Dec 1958
    International Geophysical Year (IGY) 12 nations establish over 60 stations in Antarctica. The beginning of international cooperation in Antarctica and the start of the process by which Antarctica becomes "non-national".

  • 2009

    International Polar Year - Actually Spans two years in order that researchers get the opportunity to work in both polar regions or work summer and winter if they wish.