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Captain James Cook was the first person to ever cross the Antarctic circle although he never found Antarctica
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(1819 - 21) Fabian (or Thaddues) Bellingshausen also crossed the Antarctica circle after Captain James Cook but Bellingshausen was the first person who had spotted land in Antarctica.
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Captain John Davis was an American Sealer and we was also the 1st person known to set foot on Antarctica's untouched land.
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Captain James Weddell sailed to 74* 15'S and found the Weddell ice sheet and sea. The Weddell seals got their names during these expeditions.
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Captain James Clark Ross discovered the coast of Victoria Land. Ross was the first to see Mount Erebus which is an active volcano in Antarctica and he also found the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf.
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Carsten Borchgrevink first discovered lichen that grew on the rocks in Antarctica, it was the first time vegetation had been seen in the deep Antarctic.
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Ernest Shackleton led the British Expedition to try and reach the South Pole. Although they got further than Scott's team, illness and hunger forced them to give up so went back. He was accompanied by Frank Wild, Eric Marshall and Jameson Adams.
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Captain Scott led his Antarctic expedition to try to reach the South Pole. They were forced to turn back after two months as they were suffering from snow blindness and scurvy.
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Roald Amundsen lead an expedition of five men that reached the South Pole for the first time.
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Ernest Shackleton led the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition aboard the Endurance.
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Caroline Mikkelsen was the FIRST EVER known woman to set foot, briefly, in Antarctica. exact date not known?
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Bases were built on Antarctica for the first time. As well as
continuing a permanent presence on the continent, exploration, survey and research were carried out. Exact day of date not known? -
The first women to survive on the continent were Americans Edith Ronne and Jennie Darlington. Exact date of month and day is not known?