Interactive timeline of major events in the history of Antarctica

  • James Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle

    James Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle
    on 17 Jan 1773, James Cook and his crew on board HMS Resolution and HMS Adventure became the first group that cross the Antarctic Circle off Enderby land.
  • 1st sighting by Fabian von Bellingshausen

    Fabian von Bellingshausen (a Russian Naval Officer), with companies aboard Vostok and Mirnyy, sighted the Antarctic continent at about 69•35°S [77•06gS] off Dronning Maud Land.
  • 1st landing by Captain John Davis

    The American seal hunter Captain John Davis is believed to be the first man landed on the Antarctica continent
  • James Weddell Discovered Weddell Sea

    James Weddell Discovered Weddell Sea
    on 20th Feb 1823, British whaler James Weddell discovered the sea named after him. He went on to reach the most southerly point at that time 74° 15' S
  • Charles Wilkie proved that Antarctica is a continent

    1838-1842, American Lieutenant Charles Davies led the US Exploring Expedition and discovered that Antarctica is very big and proved that it is a continent. Wilkes Land in the eatern part of the Antarctica is named after him.
  • James Ross discovered the ice shelf named after him

    James Ross discovered the ice shelf named after him
    British naval officer James Clark Ross took two ships, the Erebus and the Terror, to within 80 miles of the coast until stopped by a massive ice barrier, it is now called the Ross Ice Shelf after him. He also discovered the active volcano which he named after his ship Erebus,
  • Carl Anton Larsen the 1st person ski on Antarctica

    In December 1893 Carl Larsen a Norwegian-British Antarctic explorer became the first person to ski in Antarctica on the Larsen Ice Shelf which was subsequently named after him. He is also considered the founder of the Antarctic whaling industry.
  • Robert Falcon Scott's 1 st Antarctic expedition

    Robert Falcon Scott's 1 st Antarctic expedition
    1901-1903, Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson and Ernest Shackleton planned to reached the Soth Pole.They set a new southern record by marching to latitude 82°S and discovered the Polar Plateau, on which the South Pole is located; but has to turned back due to snow blindness and sign of scurvy.
  • First base camp on Antarctic

    Dr William S. Bruce's Scottish National Antarctic Expedition established the first base camp on the Antarctic
  • Discovery of the South Magnetic Pole

    On 16 Jan 1909, Douglas Mawson, Edgeworth David, and Alistair Mackay from Sir Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition claimed to have found the South Magnetic Pole.
  • Roald Amundsen led the 1st team reached South Pole

    Roald Amundsen led the 1st team reached South Pole
    Roald Amundsen, Olav Bjaaland, Helmer Hanssen, Sverre Hassel, and Oscar Wisting were the first team that reached the South Pole and made a successful journey home.
  • Robert Scott reached the South Pole and found fossils

    Robert Scott and his team reached the South Pole, and found fossils that proved the Antarctica was once foressted. Unfortunately the whole team died on their way back.
  • Ernest Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic expedition 1914-1917

    Ernest Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic expedition 1914-1917
    1914-1917, Ernest Shackleton led the expedition with the aim to travel acoss the Antarctic. However, his ship "Endurance" was trapped in packed ice and his team had to survived on ice for many months. He had to use lifeboat to travel all the way back to South Georgia to have the team rescued.
  • Conrad Shinn established the 1st permanent station

    American Conrad Shinn established the first permanent station which allow aircrafts to land there.
  • Antarctic Treaty

    On 1 Dec 1959, 12 countries signed the Antarctic treaty which regulates the international relations with regard to Antarctica. It is officially enter into force on 23/6/1962.
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