A Brief Timeline of the Heroic Era

By Mana.S

  • Captain Cook Crosses the Antarctic Circle

    Captain Cook Crosses the Antarctic Circle
    Captain Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle on the way to Australia

  • First known landing on Antarctica

    First known landing on Antarctica
    American sealer, Captain John Davis is the first known explorer to land on Antarctica.

  • Captain Robert Falcon Scott led the National Antarctic Expedition

    Captain Robert Falcon Scott led the National Antarctic Expedition
    This expedition achieved the first aerial view of Antarctica using a balloon, a journey to Cape Crozier, a climb of the Polar Plateau and much more.

  • Ernest Shackleton led the British Antarctic Expedition

    Ernest Shackleton led the British Antarctic Expedition
    Although they got further than Scott's team, at 180km away from the destination (South Pole) illnesses and hunger forced them to turn back and give up. They planted a Union Jack at that point.

  • Mawson Reaches the South Magnetic Pole

    Mawson Reaches the South Magnetic Pole
    The main aim of the expedition was to investigate an unknown Antarctic coastline and to investigate the ocean and its floor between Australia and Antarctica. Despite the extreme weather, with winds blowing at over 97kmh, a lot of new information was discovered and new lands surveyed.

  • Roald Amundsen wins the Race to the South Pole

    Roald Amundsen wins the Race to the South Pole
    Roald Amundsen and four other men were the first to reach the South Pole, which only took them 57 days. The main aim was to reach the South Pole first. They also planted the Norwegian Flag at the South Pole, and did very little scientific experiments.

  • Robert Falcon Scott Reaches the South Pole

    Robert Falcon Scott Reaches the South Pole
    Scott reaches the South Pole and discovers that he has been beaten by Amundsen. All of the five men in the team (Scott, Bowers, Evans, Oates and Wilson), died on the return journey at only 18 km from supply depot.

  • Ernest Shackleton led the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition

    Ernest Shackleton led the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
    Shackleton returns to Antarctica in an attempt to complete the first crossing of the continent. Their ship was crushed in the sea ice and forced the crew to abandon the ship.

  • Ernest Shackleton Returns from Antarctica!

    Ernest Shackleton Returns from Antarctica!
    Ernest Shackleton and the crew return to South Georgia after rescuing the rest of the party from other islands.

  • The Antarctic Treaty is Signed

    The Antarctic Treaty is Signed
    12 countries signed the Antarctic treaty. These countries were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the U.S.S.R., the United Kingdom, the United States of America.