Antarctic Firsts ANTARCTIC FIRSTS An eclectic collection of Antarctic 'firsts' arranged by date. Some conflicting information needs to be resolved and some dates and details may be open to question. Launched: 15 June 2003. Last updated: 4 October 2014 First time the word 'penguin' is used to describe the southern bird. (1586-1588). Occurred on the third circumnavigation of the world by Thomas Cavendish in the Desire. First drawing of an Antarctic tabular iceberg. (February 1700). Appeared in the logbook of Edmond Halley's ship Paramore. First to cross the Antarctic Circle. (January 17, 1773). Captain James Cook on his second voyage in the Resolution and Discovery. Crossed a total of three times during that voyage. In doing so, Cook was the first to circumnavigate Antarctica. Possibly the first to die in Antarctica, the Spanish officers, soldiers and seamen on board the San Telmo which sank in September 1819.

There is a cairn commemorating this at Half Moon Beach, Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. First to sight Antarctic continent. (January 27, 1820). Captain Thaddeus Bellingshausen in the Vostok and Mirnyy. Reached 69° 21'S, 2° 14'W saw an "icefield covered with small hillocks." First to chart any of the Antarctic continent (Trinity Land). (January 30, 1820). Edward Bransfield and William Smith in the Williams. First known landing on Antarctic continent. (February 7, 1821). Capt. John Davis in the Cecilia lands at Hughes Bay, Antarctic Peninsula. First recorded Antarctic winter spent on land. (1821). Eleven men of the Lord Melville, a sealer, on King George Island, South Shetlands. First scientist to work in Antarctica. William H.B. Webster sailed aboard the Chanticleer to South Shetlands to make pendulum and magnetic observations. Entered Deception Island on January 9, 1829. First fossils found in Antarctica.

(1830). Found by James Eights, Palmer-Pendleton expedition, South Shetlands. First sighting of the Antarctic continent in the Indian Ocean sector (Enderby Land). (February 24, 1831). John Biscoe, in the Tula and Lively. First to confirm that a great mass of land did exist in the Antarctic. (1830-1831). John Biscoe, in the Tula and Lively. First landing south of the Antarctic Circle. (February 9, 1839). Captain John Balleny in the Eliza Scott and the Sabrina. Discovered and landed on the Balleny Islands. First US expedition to include Antarctica. (1838-1842). United States Exploring Expedition under Lt. Charles Wilkes. First dog known to have been in the Antarctic. (1839). 'Sydney,' a dog picked up in Australia by Lt. Charles Wilkes of the United States Exploring Expedition. First ever to enter the Ross Sea. (January 9, 1841). Sir James Clark Ross in the ships Erebus and Terror.

First ever fancy dress ball in Antarctica. (December 31, 1841). New Years Eve during Sir James Clark Ross's expedition. First fish caught below the Antarctic Circle. (February 1842). Landed on the Terror during Ross's expedition. The ship's cat found it and made a meal of it. First landing on Greater Antarctica (Victoria Land). (January 26, 1853). Mercator Cooper in the Levant out of Sag Harbor, New York. First expedition to the Antarctic whose aims were solely scientific. (1872-1876). Challenger expedition, under Captain Sir George Nares and Wyville Thomson, sponsored by the Royal Society. First steamship to cross the Antarctic Circle. (February 16, 1874). Challenger expedition, under Captain Sir George Nares and Wyville Thomson, sponsored by the Royal Society. First photographs taken of Antarctic icebergs. (1874). Challenger expedition, under Captain Sir George Nares and Wyville Thomson, sponsored by the Royal Society. First steamship to reach the coast of Antarctica. (1873-1874).

German whaling expedition under Captain Eduard Dallmann in the Grönland.. First fossils found in the Antarctic. (1830). Found by James Eights, Palmer-Pendleton expedition. First vegetation (lichens) found below the Antarctic Circle. (January 18, 1895). Found by Carsten Borchgrevink on Possession Island during the Bull expedition in the Antarctic. First substantiated landing on Antarctic continent proper. (January 24, 1895). Carsten Borchgrevink and two others all claim to have been the first to step ashore, at Cape Adare during the Bull expedition in the Antarctic. First scientific vessel to visit the Antarctic continent itself. (1897-1899). Belgica (formerly Patria) under Adrien de Gerlache during the Belgian Antarctic Belgica expedition. First insect discovered in Antarctica. (January 24, 1898). Discovered on Moreno Island by Arctowski during the Belgian Antarctic Belgica expedition. Christened Belgica antarctica. First man to ski in Antarctica. (January 26, 1898).

Roald Amundsen on Two Hummock Island during the Belgian Antarctic Belgica expedition. [May have occurred during Carl Anton Larsen expedition (1892-1893) in the Jason. Headland in his Chronology says it occured during the 1893-94 Norwegian expedition that included Carl Anton Larsen.] First to sledge in Antarctica. (January 31, 1898). De Gerlache, Amundsen, Cook, Arctowski and Danco on Brabant Island during the Belgian Antarctic Belgica expedition. First to spend a full winter so far south (below 60 degrees). (1897-1899). Belgian Antarctic Belgica expedition. First to use of Primus stoves in the Antarctic. (1898-1900). Southern Cross expedition under Carsten Borchgrevink. First time dogs were used on the Antarctic continent. (1898-1900). Southern Cross expedition under Carsten Borchgrevink. First deliberate wintering-over in Antarctica. (1899-1900).

At Cape Adare during Southern Cross expedition under Carsten Borchgrevink. First Australian to winter-over in Antarctica: Louis Bernacchi (1899). Southern Cross expedition under Carsten Borchgrevink. First "cinematograph" (movies?) taken in Antarctica. (April 1899). Southern Cross expedition under Carsten Borchgrevink. First human earth burial in the Antarctic. (October 14, 1899). Nicolai Hansen buried above Cape Adare; grave was "dug" with dynamite. Southern Cross expedition under Carsten Borchgrevink. First sledge journey on Ross Ice Shelf. (February 16, 1900). Party sledged 10 miles to new 'Furthest South'. Southern Cross expedition under Carsten Borchgrevink. First to winter over on the Peninsula. (1901-1904). At Snow Hill Island during Swedish South Polar expedition under Otto Nordenskjöld aboard the Antarctic. First real land expedition in the Antarctic. (1901-1904). British National Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott aboard the Discovery.

First balloon ascent in Antarctica. (February 4, 1902). Eva was name of balloon. British National Antarctic (Discovery) expedition under Robert F. Scott. First Antarctic aerial photography. (February 4, 1902). Taken by Shackleton from the balloon Eva. British National Antarctic (Discovery) expedition under Robert F. Scott. First broken leg from skiing in the Antarctic. (February 17, 1902). Suffered by Chief Steward Reginald Ford. British National Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott in the Discovery. First crops (mustard and cress) grown in the Antarctic. (October 1902). British National Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott in the Discovery. First harvest of first crops grown in the Antarctic. (November 1, 1902). British National Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott in the Discovery. First man to walk on the polar plateau. (January 1903). Albert B. Armitage, leader of the Western Party. British National Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott in the Discovery. First surgical operation performed in Antarctica. (October 18, 1903).

Dr.Koettlitz removes cyst from Lt. Royds' cheek. British National Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott in the Discovery. First fossils found on Antarctic continent. (1903). Found by Hartley Ferrar. British National Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott in the Discovery. First moving pictures taken in the Antarctic. (1902-1904). Scottish National Antarctic expedition under William Speirs Bruce in the Scotia. Also attributed to Eric Marshall during Shackleton's Nimrod expedition, 1907-09. [See above, April 1899.] First expedition to record sound, on a phonograph. (1902-1904). Scottish National Antarctic expedition under William Speirs Bruce in the Scotia. First permanent scientific station to be established in the Antarctic, at Laurie Island, South Orkneys. (1902-1904). Scottish National Antarctic expedition under William Speirs Bruce in the Scotia. First bagpipe concert in Antarctica. (March 10, 1904). Gilbert Kerr, in kilt, plays to Emperor penguin.

Scottish National Antarctic expedition under William Speirs Brice in the Scotia. First steel vessel to cross the Antarctic Circle, the Koonya with the Nimrod in tow (January 1908). British Antarctic expedition under Ernest H. Shackleton. First automobile in Antarctica lowered onto ice. (February 1, 1908). British Antarctic expedition under Ernest H. Shackleton in the Nimrod. First instance of printing from set type on the Antarctic continent. (Issued June 23, 1908). Menu for the Midwinter Celebration at Winter Quarters, Cape Royds. British Antarctic expedition under Ernest H. Shackleton in the Nimrod. First evidence of coal found in Antarctica, discovered by Frank Wild. (December 17, 1908). British Antarctic expedition under Ernest H. Shackleton in the Nimrod. First book--Aurora Australis--produced (writen, edited, illustrated, printed, bound and issued) in the Antarctic. (Issued July 1908). British Antarctic expedition under Ernest H. Shackleton in the Nimrod. First soldier to join a British polar expedition, Captain L. E. G.

Oates. (1910-1913). British Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott in the Terra Nova. First professional photographer in the Antarctic, Herbert G. Ponting. (1910-1913). British Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott in the Terra Nova. First Antarctic land-line telephone installed, linking Cape Evans and Hut Point. (1910-1913). British Antarctic expedition under Robert F. Scott in the Terra Nova. First to reach South Pole. (December 14, 1911). Norwegian Antarctic expedition under Roald Amundsen in the Fram. Polar party: Amundsen, Bjaaland, Hassel, Hanssen and Wisting. Olav Bjaaland probably first to actually stand at the Pole. First expedition to have radio. (1911-1914). Australasian Antarctic expedition under Douglas Mawson in the Aurora. First expedition to take an airplane. (1911-1914). Australasian Antarctic expedition under Douglas Mawson. Plane never flew as it crashed before leaving; wings were removed and it was used as an "aero-tractor".

First radio contact between Antarctica and another continent. (September 25, 1912). Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson. Initially radios could transmit but not receive; on 2/1913 two-way communication established. First Antarctic meteorite found, by Francis Bickerton, Leslie Whetter and A.J. Hodegman. (December 5, 1912). Australasian Antarctic expedition under Douglas Mawson. First ordained clergyman to set foot on the Antarctic continent (Cape Evans), Arnold P. Spencer-Smith. (January 17?, 1915). Ross Sea Party, Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition in the Aurora. First Antarctic flight. (November 16, 1928). Wilkins-Hearst expedition under Hubert Wilkins. Flight in the Los Angeles by Wilkins and Eielson was 20 minutes at Deception Island. First flight over Antarctic continent. (December 20, 1928). Wilkins-Hearst expedition under Hubert Wilkins. Flew over Graham Land from Deception Island.

First airplane to take off from or land on Antarctic continent, Stars and Stripes, a Fairchild folding wing monoplane. (January 15, 1929). Byrd Antarctic expedition under Richard E. Byrd. [See First flight over South Pole. (November 29, 1929). Byrd Antarctic expedition under Richard E. Byrd. Aircraft Floyd Bennett with Byrd, Balchen, June and McKinley. First winter circumnavigation of Anarctica. (1932). Discovery II, Stanley Kemp, Captain. First seismic observations in the Antarctic. (1933-1935). Second Byrd Antarctic expedition under Richard E. Byrd. First dairy cows in Antarctica. (1933-1935). Second Byrd Antarctic expedition under Richard E. Byrd. [See First man to winter over alone, Richard E. Byrd. (March 28 - August 10, 1934). Second Byrd Antarctic expedition under Richard E. Byrd. First human voice radio broadcast from Antarctic continent. (1933-1935). Second Byrd Antarctic expedition under Richard E. Byrd.

First cosmic ray observations. (1933-1935). Second Byrd Antarctic expedition under Richard E. Byrd. First woman to set foot on the Antarctic mainland, Caroline Mikkelsen. (February 20, 1935). First flight across Antarctica. (Departing November 23, 1935). Lincoln Ellsworth and Herbert Hollick-Kenyon in aircraft Polar Star from Dundee Island to near Little America II, 2300 miles in six stages over two weeks. First African-American in Antarctica, George W. Gibbs, Jr. (1940). Third Byrd Antarctic expedition under Richard E. Byrd. First use of of helicopters and icebreakers. (1946-1947). Fourth Byrd expedition (Operation Highjump). First American ship, the Burton Island, to enter McMurdo Sound (1947). First helicopter to land at Hut Point (15 February 1947). First American landing at future McMurdo Station site (15 February 1947). First American style football game played in Antarctica (February 1947). First Antarctic expedition to include women.

(1947-1948). Ronne Antarctic Research expedition under Finn Ronne. Jennie Darlington and Edith (Jackie) Ronne wintered over. First truly international expedition to the Antarctic continent (1949-1952). Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic expediton. First Head of State to visit the Antarctic, Gabriel Gonzales Videla of Chile, in 1950. First airplane to land at South Pole. (October 31, 1956). Operation Deep Freeze II under Admiral John Dufek. Aircraft Que Sera Sera (an R4D) lands at South Pole, piloted by Conrad Shinn. First commercial flight to the Antarctic continent. (October 15, 1957). The two stewardesses--Ruth Kelley and Pat Heppinstall--became the first women ever to visit a U. S. Antarctic base. First successful land traverse of Antarctica. (November 24, 1957 - March 2, 1958). British Commonwealth Transantarctic expedition under Vivian Fuchs. Weddell Sea to Ross Sea via the Pole.

First recorded birth of any species at the South Pole. (March 14, 1961). Pandora the hamster gave birth to twins at South Pole Station. First nocturnal flight and landing in Antarctica, US mission to take Leonid Kuperov from Byrd Station for medical treatment. (April 9, 1961). First helicopters to fly to the South Pole. (February 4, 1964). Three UH-1B turbo-powered Iroquois helos from Mount Weaver. First winter flight and landing in Antarctica, US mission to take the injured Fire Chief from McMurdo to Christchurch for medical treatment. (June 26, 1964). Noted in an article in 'Antarctic,' the magazine of the NZ Antarctic Society, issue 229. It refers to the April 9, 1961 flight (above) which wasn't technically "winter." First human birth on Antarctic continent, Emilio Marcos de Palma born at Esperanza Station. (January 7, 1978). First South Pole Marathon. (April 20, 1981). Run by Dr.

Chuck Huss on a treadmill in Biomed. First recorded wedding at the South Pole. (February 11, 1985). Patricia Manglicmot and Randall Chambers were married at South Pole station. (Thanks to Bill-Ace Baker via John Splettstoesser.) First women to reach the South Pole by land, Victoria E. Murden and Shirley Metz. (January 17, 1989). When Did James Cook Cross the Antarctic Circle? | Sciencing When Did James Cook Cross the Antarctic Circle? By Rita Kennedy Hulton Archive/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The imaginary line circling the Earth whose latitude is approximately 66 degrees South is known as the Antarctic Circle. It marks the global line above which the sun does not rise for at least one day during the Antarctic winter, or set during the Antarctic summer. British explorer and surveyor Captain James Cook and the crew of the Resolution became the first people known to have crossed this line in January 1773. Background By the time the Resolution set sail in July 1772, James Cook’s reputation as a naval commander and surveyor was well established.

Cook had joined the Royal Navy in 1755 and worked his way up from able seaman to ship’s master. After leaving the navy in 1762 he moved into surveying and charted the coast of Newfoundland in addition to sailing the southern hemisphere between 1768 and 1771 observing the transit of Venus. During this voyage Cook and his crew visited New Zealand and discovered the east coast of Australia. First Voyage of the Resolution Cook’s stated aim for the Resolution’s first voyage was to search the Southern Ocean for the huge land mass scientists believed must be there. The voyages were also testing out several chronometers, devices used to provide accurate times and help sailors calculate their longitude. For safety, the Resolution sailed with a second ship, the Adventure. Leaving Plymouth in July 1772, the two ships sailed first to South Africa before heading south, timing their arrival to coincide with the Antarctic summer. Crossing the Antarctic Circle Cook and the crew of the Resolution crossed the Antarctic Circle on January 17, 1773.

Cook recorded in his journal that “we cross’d the Antarctic Circle for at Noon we were by observation four Miles and a half South of it and are undoubtedly the first and only Ship that ever cross’d that line.” The following day, Cook climbed to the observer’s post on the ship’s masthead and looked south to see what the ship’s scientist, Johann Forster, described as “a sold field of ice, so that it would be impossible to proceed & therefore having gone as far as 67° 15' South, we wore Ship & went North East by North.” Later Crossings Cook would cross the Antarctic Circle twice more in his lifetime. In November 1773, the Resolution sailed south from New Zealand’s South Island, and on December 21, Cook observed that the ship was at latitude 66 degrees South, meaning “we came the second time under the Polar Circle.” Cook turned the ship east, making his crew believe they were going home, but on January 10, 1774, they had an unpleasant surprise.

One crew member recorded that “all our hopes were blasted in a Minute, for from steering East, at Noon, Captain Cook ordered the Ship to steer due South, to our utter astonishment.” Sailing the new course, the Resolution “came the third time within the Antarctick Polar Circle” on January 26. References Antarctic Explorers - Ryotaro's Website Ryotaro's Website Antarctic Explorers Brief History of Antarctica In the 18th century, Europeans started exploring the Antarctic region. In 1772-1775, Captain Cook was sent on an expedition to the Southern Hemisphere. On the 17th of January 1773, Captain Cook became the first person to cross the Antarctic circle. He crossed it three times but he couldn't find the continent of Antarctica. The first man to see the continent of Antarctica was Fabian von Bellinngsingshausen. He saw the continent on the 27th of January 1820. Edward Bransfield was the second person to see Antarctica on the 30th January 1820.

Then George Powell and Nathaniel Palmer discovered the South Orkney Islands on the 26th of December 1821. In 1823, James Weddell explored the Weddell Sea. The first person to reach the South Pole was Roald Amundsen. His ship reached Antarctica in January 1911.They spend the winter in their base and on the 20th of October 1911, Roald Amundsen and four other men set out for the South Pole. They reached it on the 14th of December 1911 and they went back to their base on the 25th of January 1912. Another person to reach the South Pole was Robert Scott. He arrived in Antarctica in January 1911 and set out for the South Pole in October. He reached it on 17th of January 1912 and he found out Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole before him. The first person to fly a plane in Antarctica was George Wilkins in November 1928 and on the 29th of November 1929, Richard Byrd flew over the South Pole.

In 1935, Caroline Mikkelsen became the first woman to land on Antarctica. In 1944, the British established a first permanent base in Antarctica for military purposes. The Australians established a scientific base in 1954. The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1954 and came into force in 1961. Captain Cook's Voyages Antarctica Timeline | Preceden Captain James Cook and his crew became the first people to cross the Antarctic Circle. Spotting of land 1819 - 1821 Captain Bellinghausen, a Russian naval officer, spots the first sighting of Antarctica, describing it to be, "an icefield with small hillocks." Walking on the ice American sealer, John Davis becomes the first person to set land on Antarctica Discovery of the Weddell Sea 1823 British whaler, James Weddell, discovers the Weddell Sea (named after him) and travels to the most southerly point in Antarctica.

Naming of Ross Ice Shelf 1840 - 1841 Sir James Clark Ross, British naval officer and scientist sets sail to find the magnetic South Pole with his two ships 'Erebus' and Terror'. They stop by an ice shelf and Ross names it after himself. The search for the pole continues. Trapped in Pack ice 1898 Adrien de Gerlache and his crew on the 'Belgica' became trapped in pack ice near the Antarctic Peninsula for a year. They became the first people to survive a full Antarctic Winter, while drifting in ice. Expedition of Failure 1902 Captain Robert Scott, of the U.K., voyages on his first expedition to the South Pole. Accompanied by Enerst Shackleton and Edward Wilson, he covers only 3100 miles and then returns home after suffering from scurvy and blinding snow. Shackleton's Improvement 1908 Shackleton and his crew surpassed Scott's journey in 1902 in 30 days. After feeling terribly sick, they return home after attempting their expedition. Finding the Magnetic Pole Douglas Mawson reaches the South Magnetic Pole The Race to the South Pole!

1911 Norwegian Explorer, Roald Amundsen, beats Scott in a race to the South Pole. Amundsen reaches the South Pole for the first time. 2nd Place 1912 Captain Scott loses to Amundsen in a race to the South Pole. His team of five people die on the way back to their ship after seeing Amundsen's sign and letters left for Scott. Scott and his team die on the way back to his ship. Their bodies are not found until November. Crashed into Ice 1915 - 1917 Ernest Shackleton aboard his ship the 'Endurance' set sail for the South Pole to finish the first crossing of Antarctica. Unfortunately, the 'Endurance' crashes into ice. A small group of his men look for a whaling station. The group is eventually rescued in 1917 Flight over the South Pole 1929 US Pilot, Richard Byrd became the first person to fly over the South Pole, with three othe men. Operation HIGHJUMP 1947 The US Navy sent 4700 men, 13 ships and 23 aircraft over to map the coast and interior of Antarctica.

International Geophysical Year 1957 - 1958 12 nations construct over 60 research stations over Antarctica. It marked the beggining for international cooperation until the Antarctic Treaty was signed. The Signing of the Antarctic Treaty 1961 The Antarctic Treaty was signed by 12 nations, who promised to use Antarctica for peaceful purposes and scientific reasearch only. January 17th January 17th 1706 - Birth date of Benjamin Franklin, inventor of the lightning conductor. 1773 - Captain James Cook and his crew became the first known people to cross the Antarctic Circle on this day. 1861 - Flush toilet patented on this day by Thomas Crapper. 1871 - Cable car patented on this day by Andrew S. Hallidie. 1899 - Birth date of Al Capone, famous gangster. 1910 - Death of Thomas Crapper, inventor of the flushing toilet. 1912 - Captain Scott and his team finally reached the South Pole only to discover they had been beaten to it by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Scott never made it home.

1929 - First appearance of 'Popeye' in a comic strip on this day. History | Antarctic Antarctica History Pre 20th Century History Unlike other continental land masses, Antarctica's existence was postulated long before it was discovered. Indeed, both Pythagoras and Aristotle felt that the globe would be top-heavy and topple over if there weren't a sizeable land mass to balance it. James Cook became the first person to cross the Antarctic Circle in 1773, but he circumnavigated Antarctica without once sighting land. Cook's observations on the huge seal and whale populations encouraged sealers and whalers to arrive in droves: nearly one third of the Southern Ocean and subantarctic islands were subsequently discovered by sealers. In January 1820 Fabian von Bellingshausen of the Russian Imperial Navy became the first person to see the Antarctic continent. He described it as 'an icefield covered with small hillocks'. It wasn't until nearly 120 years later that his achievements were properly appreciated - the Soviet Union was then keen to establish Antarctic claims.

In 1819 and 1822, Scotsman James Weddell discovered the South Orkney Islands; in 1823 he landed on Saddle Island where he took six skins of an unknown species of seal (today known as the Weddell seal). By February he had reached 74°15' south, a new southing record. He named the sea after sovereign King George IV, but in the 20th century it was renamed the Weddell Sea. Frenchman Jules-Sébastien-César Dumont d'Urville set forth from Toulon in 1838 hoping to reach the South Magnetic Pole (magnetism was then one of science's biggest conundrums), but ice stopped him well short. He did, however, discover Louis Philippe Land and Joinville Island at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, although sealers had probably already landed on both. In January 1840 he finally sighted land. Sheer ice cliffs prevented a landing on the mainland, so d'Urville landed on an island a few hundred metres offshore and claimed the Great Southern Land for France.

Belgian navy lieutenant Adrien Victor Joseph de Gerlache de Gomery's expeditions left Punta Arenas, Chile, very late in the season in December 1897. Some speculate that de Gerlache knew this would mean the Belgica would become beset with ice and that he would be the first to command an expedition that endured the Antarctic winter. By March the Belgica was stuck in heavy ice and the ship did not budge for 377 days. The crew ate fresh seal and penguin meat to prevent the onset of scurvy and elaborate games were organised to prevent madness. By January 1899 the situation was desperate: for a month the crew hewed a canal through the ice, but when they were nearly finished the wind shifted, the pack ice tightened and the channel closed up within an hour. Just two weeks later another shift in the wind reopened the channel and the Belgica was freed. The real achievement of the expedition was that it provided proof that permanent bases could be established on Antarctica, and that humans, with good provisions and equipment, could survive the Antarctic winter. Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink headed the first venture to establish firm bases on the continent.

In 1899 this expedition left two simple huts, 10 men, 90 sledge dogs, kayaks for sea travel and a new Swedish invention - the Primus stove - in Antarctica. Despite one death, some near disasters and an ambivalent reaction on returning to England, this exercise was the start of modern Antarctic research. Modern History Captain Robert Falcon Scott's well-financed expedition in the Discovery left England in August 1901, crossed the Antarctic Circle in January 1902, penetrated the Ross Sea and discovered King Edward VII Land. Scott's men endured the winter with the comfort of windmill-powered electric lights, their own Royal Terror Theatre and the production of Antarctica's first magazine, the monthly South Polar Times. With spring came the real work: Scott and two others, with 19 dogs and five supply sledges, took off for the South Pole. None had skied or driven sledge dogs before and their inexperience was telling. Despite this, they reached 82° 16.5' south before they turned back, but the return trip was awful. As the dogs weakened they were shot and fed to the others.

They made it back to the Discovery to find that the relief ship Morning had arrived. Scott sent eight men home and spent another winter in the Discovery, leaving the following summer. Norwegian Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen, who had been part of the de Gerlache expedition that wintered in Antarctica, set sail from Christiana (modern-day Oslo) in 1910 in a bid to become the first man to reach the North Pole. When he heard American Robert Peary had already reached the North Pole, Amundsen did a literal about-face. Aware of Robert Scott's rival expedition, Amundsen secretively headed south. Setting out from his Ross Ice Shelf base on 19 October, 1911, Amundsen and four others headed for the Pole. The planning was meticulous: Amundsen took three or four backups for every critical item and set up 10 well-marked depots down to 82° south. On 14 December, 1911, Amundsen and his party reached the South Pole, claiming it for Norway. Amundsen left a tent at the Pole with a note inside for Scott to read.

Meanwhile, Scott was preparing another sortie and was desperate to beat Amundsen to the South Pole. He sailed from New Zealand in November 1910, and a team of five made a final push to the Pole on 2 October the next year. The journey was very difficult, and they reached the Pole only to find that Amundsen had been there 23 days earlier. Scott's disappointment was enormous, and the party turned around to begin the return journey. Two men died within two months, and the surviving three pushed on for another month until, just 18km (11mi) from a major supply depot, the weather pinned them down. Scott's last journal entry was 29 March and their frozen bodies were found eight months later by a search party. After WWII only governments could afford to mount Antarctic expeditions, and in 1943 the British began the permanent occupation of the continent. In 1946, the US Navy Antarctic Developments Project, or 'Operation Highjump', was launched.

It was the beginning of the Cold War and the exercise was designed to give US troops experience in polar conditions - 4700 men, 33 aircraft, 13 ships and 10 caterpillar tractors were deployed, and helicopters and icebreakers were used for the first time in Antarctica. In February 1954, the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) established Mawson station. This was the first permanent scientific station and the only one outside the Peninsula. The International Geophysical Year (IGY), which lasted from July 1957 to December 1958, brought together the research activities of 66 countries. As part of this, 12 countries - Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the UK, the USA and the USSR - established more than 40 bases on the Antarctic continent and a further 20 on the subantarctic islands. It was the spirit of international cooperation promoted by the IGY that lead directly to the signing of the Antarctic Treaty, which has administered Antarctic affairs since 1961.

Recent History In recent years, Antarctica's history has been characterised by international scientific cooperation and increasing concerns about the continent's future. While for the moment the Antarctic landmass has been spared mining activity, chunks of ice bigger than many (admittedly small) countries are breaking off the ice shelf, adding to fears that the effects of global warming are already starting to take effect. Antarctic.ie is a trading name of Platinum Travel who are fully licensed and bonded by the Commission for Aviation Regulation in Ireland. License Number 0634. Tailor Made & Bespoke Tailor made travel worldwide for your preferences and budget. Book with confidence - Fully licensed and bonded. Independent advice - Platinum are not affiliated to any specific airlines, operators or suppliers Call one of our specialists now on +353 1853 5000 Timeline Worksheet: January 17, 1773, Captain James Cook and Winter Sports Scramble - WriteBonnieRose.com WriteBonnieRose.com Sharing His Story through the Stories of Yesterday and Today .

Asia: Its People and History Timeline Worksheet: January 17, 1773, Captain James Cook and Winter Sports Scramble On January 17, 1773, Captain James Cook became the first person to cross the Antarctic Circle. Let’s try to unscramble ten popular winter sports. James Cook crosses Antarctic Circle James Cook crosses Antarctic Circle by gary_satanovsky Give credit to Captain James Cook: he would not be stopped from his mission no matter what. Not long after his first successful ocean exploration he was given command of two ships and charged to find the Terra Australis Incognita – the great continent laying below the equator. Sporadic reports from sailors talked of it, but nothing certain was known when Cook set out on his long journey south. On this day, January 17, in 1773, Captain James Cook’s ship Resolution unwittingly became the first one to cross the Antarctic Circle, and the first ship to ever sail that far south. Still not finding the rumored continent, Cook ordered further exploration of the area, sailing where the ice allowed passage and spending the icy winters in New Zealand.

Finally encountering a solid wall of ice blocking his path, he concluded the continent as was envisioned did not exist, and turned back for England. Cook made yet a third voyage to seek out another rumor (and claim the £20,000 for its discovery) – the Northwest Passage trade route that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Cook found that impassable due to ice as well, and turned back for the warmer lands, ultimately discovering Hawaii. There he met his end – a dispute with the native Hawaiians let to a small skirmish during which Cook and several other sailors were killed. He was given a native funeral, and some of his remains returned to the surviving crew for their traditional burial at sea. Today’s History The Antarctic In January, 1773, Captain James Cook and his crew became the first men to cross the Antarctic Circle. In January, 1775, on his third voyage, Cook sailed past South Georgia and discovered the South Sandwich Islands two weeks later. The Russian Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, was the first person to see the Antarctic continent, January 27, 1820.

Nathanial Palmer, an American sealing captain and Edward Bransfield, a British naval officeralso have claims to being the first to see the continent.. Both Palmer and Bransfield mapped sections of the Antarctic peninsula. James Clark Ross (1800-1862) sailed from Hobart, Tasmania, November 12, 1840. In January he passed through the ice pack and entered the sea now called by his name. At latitude 100ï¿½ 41ï¿½ S he sighted land 100 miles south, blocking the course he expected to follow in his search for the South Magnetic Pole. On January 28 he sighted the active volcano which he named Erebus after one of his ships. After reaching a position of 78ï¿½ 4ï¿½ S he returned to Tasmania on April 4, 1841 to avoid becoming ice-bound. The House of Commons ordered the publication of his chart of the voyage on September 6, 1841. This chart was adapted for the background of the stamp honoring Ross. The entire course of his outbound voyage is shown, but only a part of the return route.

Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian, and four team members reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911. They discovered a new route which took only 57 days.

Question: In 1773, who became the first known person to cross the Antarctic Circle?
Answer: Captain James Cook