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Captain Cook crosses the Antarctic circle
Captain James Cook crosses the Antarctic circle and circumnavigates Antarctica, though he doesn't sight land, deposits of rock seen in icebergs showed that a southern continent exists. -
Bellingshausen circumnavigates Antarctica
Bellingshausen a Russian naval officer in the Vostok and Mirny circumnavigates the Antarctic, first to cross the Antarctic circle since Cook. He made the first sighting of the continent, reaching 69° 21'S, 2° 14'W - describing an "icefield covered with small hillocks." -
British naval officers saw Antarctica
For some considerable time, exactly who and when first set eyes on Antarctica were in dispute as British naval officers, William Smith and Edward Bransfield also saw Antarctica on Jan 30th 1820. -
American Sealer sees Antartica
- followed by American sealer Nathaniel Palmer on Nov 16th.
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First known landing on Antarctica
1st known landing on continental Antarctica by American sealer Captain John Davis, though this is not acknowledged by all historians. -
James Clark Ross visits Antarctica
Separate British, French and American expeditions establish the status of Antarctica as a continent after sailing along continuous coastline. In 1840, British naval officer and scientist James Clark Ross takes two ships, the Erebus and the Terror, to within 80 miles of the coast until stopped by a massive ice barrier - now called the Ross Ice Shelf. He also discovers the active volcano that he names after his ship Erebus, and identifies 145 new species of fish (not personally you understand - a -
Shackleton leads expedition to South Pole.
Ernest Shackleton leads expedition to within 156km / 97mls of the South Pole, turns back after supplies are exhausted.
