AN ANTARCTIC CALENDAR

This is a work in progress: dates with an Antarctic connection will be added from time-to-time as I find them or they come my way. Suggestions are, of course, welcomed, particularly dates with connections that are somewhat obscure, off-beat or otherwise bizarre (but instructive and interesting).

Last Updated: 2 December 2011

Month Day Year Event
January 1 1908 Nimrod leaves Lyttelton Harbor, New Zealand, towed by the Koonya.
" 1909 Shackleton reaches 87°06'30"S, new Polar record, north or south.
2 1911 Terra Nova lands at Cape Evans.
3 1840 World's first deep sea sounding, 2425 fathoms, during James Clark Ross's expedition.
" 1902 Scott crosses Antarctic Circle for the first time.
" 1908 Shackleton's Arrol-Johnston car unloaded at Cape Royds.
" 1912 Campbell's Northern Party picked up by the Terra Nova.
4 1958 Hillary reaches South Pole during the British Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition.
5 1922 Shackleton dies in Grytviken, South Georgia.
6 1909 Shackleton reaches 88°07'S, new Polar record, north or south.
7 1978 First human birth in Antarctica takes place at Esperanza Station--Emilio Marcos de Palma.
8 1902 Scott sights Antarctica for the first time (Victoria Land).
9 1909 Shackleton, Adams, Marshall and Wild reach furthest south 88° 23'.
" 1975 Present Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station dedicated.
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11 1841 James Clark Ross sights & names Admiralty Mountains, Victoria Land.
" 1913 News of the death of Scott's Polar Party reaches London.
12 1921 British Imperial Expedition lands at Waterboat Point.
13 1905 Charcot sights Adelaide Island.
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15 1929 Byrd makes his first Antarctic flight.
16 1908 Nimrod arrives in Ross Sea.
" 1909 David, Mackay and Mawson discover the South Magnetic Pole.
17 1773 Capt Cook becomes first to cross the Antarctic Circle.
" 1912 Scott's party reaches South Pole at 6:30 pm.
18 1895 Party including Carsten Borchgrevink land on Possession Island.
19 1915 Endurance caught in ice 76° 34'S.
20 1773 Captain Cook's second crossing of the Antarctic Circle (may be the 21st)
" 1840 Adélie Land discovered by Dumont d'Urville and named for his wife.
" 1958 Fuchs reaches South Pole during the British Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition.
21 1821 Bellingshausen discovers Peter I Island, the first land within the Antarctic Circle.
22 1831 John Biscoe crosses Antarctic Circle.
23 1899 Borchgrevink in the Southern Cross crosses the Antarctic Circle.
" 1908 Shackleton sights the Ross Ice Shelf.
24 1895 First substantiated landing on Antarctic continent, at Cape Adare.
" 1908 Shackleton names Bay of Whales.
25 1841 Ross sights Mt Erebus; calls it High Island.
" 1912 Amundsen arrives back at Framheim from South Pole.
26 1774 Captain Cook's third crossing of the Antarctic Circle
" 1820 Bellingshausen second to cross the Antarctic Circle
" 1898 Amundsen becomes first person to ski in Antarctica.
27 1820 Bellingshausen sights the continental ice shelf around Princess Martha Land.
28 1821 Bellingshausen discovers Alexander I Island.
29 1908 Nimrod arrives at McMurdo Sound.
30 1820 Edward Bransfield saw "high mountains covered with snow." These were the peaks of Trinity Land, on the Antarctic mainland.
30 1916 Sir Clements Markham dies in fire started by candle while reading in bed.
31 1908 First recorded amputation in Antarctica: Aeneas Mackintosh's eye removed.
" 1898 Amundsen leads the first sledging expedition in Antarctica.
February 1 1908 First automobile in Antarctica lowered onto the ice. Shackleton's Nimrod expedition
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3 1911 Terra Nova meets Fram at the Bay of Whales.
4 1912 Edgar Evans falls on Beardmore Glacier.
" 1902 Scott makes first Antarctic balloon ascent at Bay of Whales. Name of balloon: Eva.
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8 1877 Admiral Charles Wilkes dies.
9 1839 John Balleny and Thomas Freeman discovered the Balleny Island on whichthey made the first known landing south of the Antarctic Circle.
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12 1903 The Antarctic crushed in the ice, sinking at 63° 50'S, 57°W.
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14 1779 Captain James Cook killed in Hawaii.
" 1913 Memorial service at St Paul's Cathderal for Scott and his companions, the King in attendance. Rock of Ages was sung.
15 1874 Shackleton born at Kilkea House, near Athy, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
" 1899 Belgica escapes from ice.
16 1874 Challenger first steamship to cross Antarctic Circle.
" 1900 Borchgrevink sets "furthest south" 78° 50'S.
" 1904 Discovery freed from the ice after 2 years.
17 1912 P.O. Edgar Evans dies on the return from the Pole.
18 1899 Borchegrevink arrives at Cape Adare, Oates Land.
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20 1935 Caroline Mikkelsen becomes first woman to set foot on the Antarctic continent at Vestfold Hills.
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22 1915 Endurance gets truly caught in the ice.
23 1842 James Clark Ross reaches furthest south, Lat 78° 10'S.
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28 1831 John Biscoe discovers the coast of Enderby Land, naming it for his employers.
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2 1899 Southern Cross leaves Cape Adare and the first deliberate wintering-over in Antarctica begins.
3 1898 Belgica becomes trapped in the ice at 70° 20'S, 85°W in Bellingshausen Sea.
" 1904 Coats Land discovered by William Bruce.
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7 1876 P.O. Edgar Evans born at Middleton, Gower, Wales.
8 1912 Amundsen sends a telegram from Hobart, Tasmania, informing the world that he has reached the South Pole.
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10 1908 First ascent of Mt Erebus by Mawson, David and Mackay.
11 1957 Richard Evelyn Byrd dies at 9 Brimmer Street, Boston.
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14 1961 Pandora the hamster gave birth to twins at the South Pole Station, the first recorded birth (of any species) at the Pole.
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16 1831 John Biscoe discovers Cape Ann, East Antarctica.
17 1912 Oates walks out to his death, on his 32nd birthday.
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21 1901 Discovery launched at Dundee.
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29 1912 Approximate date of death of Scott, Wilson and Bowers.
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3 1962 James Clark Ross dies at Aylesbury, Bucks.
4 1843 Ross's Erebus & Terror arrive Simon's Bay, Cape Town at end of third Antarctic voyage.
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6 1908 Brocklehurst had some toes removed after climbing Mt Erebus.
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9 1904 Shackleton marries Emily Mary Dorman at Christ Church, Westminster.
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14 1916 Shackleton and men reach Elephant Island.
15 1800 James Clark Ross born in London.
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23 1902 Publication of the first issue of The South Polar Times, Winter Quarters, Hut Point, during Discovery expedition.
24 1916 James Caird leaves Elephant Island with Shackleton, Crean, McNeish, McCarty, Vincent and Worsley.
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26 1889 James Mann Wordie born, Glasgow, Scotland. Member, Shackleton's British Imperial Transantarctic Expedition 1914-17.
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May 1 1902 The one and only issue of The Blizzard appears at Hut Point, produced by Shackleton.
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5 1916 Prime Minister Asquith unveils Scott party memorial in the south transept of St. Paul's Cathedral.
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8 1842 Dumont d'Urville and family die in a train crash during an outing to Versailles.
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10 1916 James Caird reaches South Georgia.
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20 1916 Shackleton, Worsley and Crean reach Stromness Whaling Station. South Georgia.
21 1917 Kathleen Scott's marble statue of her husband is unveiled in Christchurch.
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23 1790 Dumont d'Urville born at Condé-sur-Noiteau. Calvados, France.
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6 1868 Robert Falcon Scott born at Outlands, Devonport.
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12 1913 Scott's Terra Nova arrives at the Scilly Isles on return to Britain.
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14 1913 Scott's Terra Nova arrives at Cardiff.
15 1910 Scott's Terra Nova leaves Great Britain for the south.
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18 1928 Amundsen dies somewhere in the Arctic during Nobile rescue on this approximate date.
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25 1900 Robert Scott elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
" 1902 Concert and sketch performed in the evening at Royal Terror Theatre, during Scott's Discovery expedition.
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30 1817 Joseph Dalton Hooker born at Halesworth, Suffolk.
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14 1830 John Biscoe departs London on Tula and Lively.
15 1867 Jean-Baptiste Charcot born at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
16 1872 Roald Amundsen born at Borge near Christiana, Norway.
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21 1983 World's lowest temperature recorded, Vostok Station, minus 129.9 degrees F.
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26 1913 King presents Antarctic Medal and Clasp to members and relatives of Scott's expedition at Buckingham Palace, including the Albert Medal 2nd Class to Lashly and Crean.
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August 1 1914 Shackleton's Endurance leaves London, British Imperial Transantarctic Expedition 1914-17.
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7 1907 Shackleton's Nimrod leaves Torquay, BAE 1907-09.
8 1914 Shackleton's Endurance leaves Plymouth, British Imperial Transantarctic Expedition 1914-17.
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11 1934 Demas, Poulter and Waite arrive at Bolling Advanced Weather Station just as Byrd is being affected by fumes.
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18 1838 US Exploring Expedition under Wilkes leaves Hampton Roads, Virginia.
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22 1898 Southern Cross leaves London.
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30 1916 Yelcho embarks Shackleton's party from Elephant Island.
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September 1 . .
2 1908 Robert Scott marries Kathleen Bruce in the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace. Rodin was among the guests.
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4 1843 Ross's Erebus & Terror anchor off of Folkestone at conclusion of voyage.
" 1946 Japanese Antarctic explorer, Lt. Nobu Shirase, dies at age 85.
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9 1910 Amundsen sends telegram from Madeira to Scott in Melbourne that reads: "Beg leave inform you proceeding Antarctic, Amundsen."
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12 1909 Captain Scott officially announces his second expedition.
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17 1921 Shackleton's Quest leaves Port of London for the Antarctic.
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30 1893 Henryk Bull's Antarctic leaves Norway.
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9 1908 Shackleton, Wild, Adams & Marshall set off to the Pole from Cape Royds.
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12 1910 Terra Nova arrives at Melbourne; Scott receives Amundsen telegram informing him that the Fram was proceeding to Antarcitca.
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16 1899 Hanson dies, probably of scurvy (Borchegrevink expedition).
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18 1973 Bernt Balchen dies at Mount Kisco, New York.
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25 1888 Richard Evelyn Byrd born at Winchester, Virginia.
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27 1728 James Cook born in Marton, Yorkshire.
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29 1908 Shackleton begins South Polar journey with Adams, Marshall & Wild.
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November 1 1911 Scott, Bowers, Wilson, Evans & Oates leave for the Pole.
2 1902 Shackleton, Scott & Wilson set off on Southern Journey.
" 1902 Scotia leaves Scotland.
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4 1909 Shackleton's Heart of the Antarctic published.
5 1915 Statue of Robert Scott, sculpted by his wife, unveiled in Waterloo Place by Mr Balfour, the Prime Minister.
6 1940 Chile claims the Antarctic Peninsula.
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9 1909 Shackleton's knighthood announced in Birthday Honours.
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11 1969 First party of women arrived at the Pole.
12 1840 Ross's Erebus & Terror sail from Hobart for the Antarctic.
" 1912 Bodies of Scott, Wilson and Bowers found.
13 1957 Fuchs reaches South Pole.
14 1955 Fuchs leaves London on the Theron, British Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition.
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16 1928 First plane to fly in Antarctica, flown by C. B. Eielson & Hubert Wilkins.
17 1820 Nathaniel Brown Palmer sights Antarctic Continent from Deception Island.
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21 1915 Endurance sinks.
22 1936 Rymill and Bingham succeed in the first crossing of Graham Land.
23 1841 Ross's Erebus & Terror depart Bay of Islands (NZ) for second Antarctic voyage.
" 1907 Shackleton's Nimrod arrives in New Zealand.
" 1935 Ellsworth and Hollick-Kenyon set out on the first aerial crossing on Antarctica.
24 1820 Bellingshausen crosses the Antarctic Circle at 164°W.
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28 1979 257 people die in a plane crash on Mt Erebus.
29 1929 First flight over South Pole: Byrd, Balchen, June & McKinnon in the Floyd Bennett.
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December 1 1908 Shackleton's Arrol-Johnston car falls into crevasse.
" 1910 Japan's first Antarctic expedition sails from Tokyo aboard the Kainan Maru under the command of Lt. Nobu Shirase.
" 1959 Antarctic Treaty signed by 12 countries in Washington, DC.
2 1911 Douglas Mawson and his crew of 31 men leave Hobart on Australia's first scientific expedition to Antarctica aboard the Aurora.
" 1912 Douglas Mawson tests first airplane in the Antarctic (no wings).
3 1908 Beardmore Glacier seen and named by Shackleton.
4 1967 Severe volcanic disturbance at Deception Island.
5 1821 Powell and Palmer discover the South Orkney Islands.
6 1903 Shackleton selected as Secretary/Treasurer of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.
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9 1928 Byrd sees his first Antarctic iceberg.
10 1911 Joseph Dalton Hooker dies at Sunningdale, Berks.
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12 1961 First nuclear plant in the Antarctic arrives at McMurdo Station by ship.
13 1904 P.O. Edgar Evans marries Lois Beynon at Rhosili, Gower, Wales.
14 1909 Shackleton knighted by King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace.
" 1911 Amundsen party reaches South Pole.
" 1912 Death of Ninnis on Mawson's expedition.
" 1958 Pole of Relative Inaccessibility reached for the first time by a USSR tractor traverse.
15 1935 Ellsworth and Hollick-Kenyon complete the first aerial crossing on Antarctica.
" 1980 Trans-Globe Expedition reaches Pole.
16 1911 Amundsen party hoists Norwegian flag at the South Pole.
" 1957 South Geomagnetic Pole reached for the first time by a USSR tractor traverse.
17 1842 Ross's Erebus & Terror depart Falkland Islands on third Antarctic voyage.
" 1955 First-ever planes fly to McMurdo from Christchurch.
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20 1773 Cook crosses Antarctic Circle second time.
" 1956 Construction begins on South Pole Station.
21 1872 Challenger leaves England.
" 1901 Discovery leaves Lyttelton, New Zealand.
" 1901 Charles Bonner killed when he fell from the crows nest of the SY Discovery on leaving Lyttelton.
" 1956 Hillary Ross Sea party leaves New Zealand for McMurdo Sound.
22 1956 First tourists fly in on LAN Chile.
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28 1967 First fossilized land animals found in Antarctica.
29 1913 First public announcement of Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
" 1915 Shackleton establishes Patience Camp.
30 1902 Shackleton, Scott & Wilson reach Furthest South 82° 15'S.
" 1948 Premiere of Scott of the Antarctic, Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square, London.
31 1915 Shackleton and his 27 men cross the Antarctic Circle northward-bound on a floe.

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