POLAR TIMELINE
ANTARCTICATIMELINE
Who first saw Antarctic ice, and who first discovered Antarctica? We know the Polynesian people were superb navigators and explored far southern waters. Pacific oral history tells of a canoe voyage around AD 650 reaching Antarctic sea ice. Neverthelessmuch of Antarctica’s documented history starts off with the European discoverers. 1773 James Cook becomes the first person to navigate across the Antarctic Circle and proceed to circumnavigate the continent of Antarctica. Although he doesn't gain a visual on land, he does see deposits of rock in icebergs, which proved to Captain Cook that a Southern continent existed. 1819-21 Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen (a captain in the Russian Imperial Navy) cast his eyes on the Antarctic continent on 27 January 1820, three days before Edward Bransfield (a captain in the British Royal Navy) sighted land, and ten months beforeNathaniel Palmer.
1911 On 14 December Norwegian Roald Amundsen leads a five-man expedition that reaches the geographic South Pole for the first time. Scott’s polar party arrives several weeks later to find they have been beaten, and tragically perish on the return trip. 1911-1914 Mawson returns to Antarctica to lead the Australasian Scientific Antarctic Expedition, the first to be organised and led by an Australian. In January 1913 Mawson begins his solo trek back to his base after his two companions die. Against all oddsMawson survives. 1914-1917 Shackleton returns toAntarctica inanattempt to complete thefirst crossingof the continent.Their ship is crushed in the sea ice. The expedition makes its way over ice and water to Elephant Island. A small party led by Shackleton sets out in a small boat for South Georgia.The support partywaiting on the other side of the continent is eventually rescued in 1917.
1830s-40s Individual British, French and American expeditions confirm the status of Antarctica as a continent after sailing around the continuous coastline.
1929-1931 Mawson leads the British, Australian and New Zealand expedition that explores and maps the coastline of what was in 1936 to become the Australian Antarctic Territory, covering 42%of the continent.
1898 InMarch, AdriendeGerlacheand the crewof theBelgicabecome trapped inpack iceoff theAntarcticPeninsula in their first expedition to the continent.The remainingcrew, throughextremehardshipandon theedgeof insanity, become thefirst to survive an Antarcticwinter. 1901-1904 Captain Robert Falcon 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 fromsnowblindness and scurvy. 1907-1909 Shackleton leads an expedition and reaches 88degrees south, the closest to the geographic South Pole to date. He turns back after supplies are exhausted. During the same expedition, DouglasMawson reaches the SouthMagnetic Pole and is in the first party to climbMt Erebus.
1957-1958 During the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58, 12 nations establish 50 stations inAntarctica, the beginning of formal, international cooperation. The first successful land crossing via the South Pole is led by British geologist Vivian FuchswithNewZealander Edmund Hillary.
1959 TheAntarctic Treaty is signed by 12 countries, includingNewZealand andAustralia.The treaty comes into effect in 1961 and the firstmeeting is held in Canberra in recognition of Australia’s effort in negotiations.
1998 Madrid Protocol designates Antarctica as a ‘natural reserve devoted to peace and science’ and prohibiting mining in Antarctica.
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