-
Period: to
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition was an expedition led by Sir Earnest Shackleton for the purpose of exploring Antarctica. The expedition didn't exactly go as planned. -
The Expedition Begins
The ship "Endurance" leaves from Plymouth, England on August 8, 1914. No one knows yet how fitting the name of the ship is. Several members of the expedition arrive on the ship via faster boats after the ship had left port. The ship travels to South Georgia in the Southern Atlantic. Photo URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Shackleton_Endurance_Aurora_map2.png/300px-Shackleton_Endurance_Aurora_map2.png -
Running Into Concerns
Two days after the Endurance left South Georgia, Shackleton spots pack ice at concerningly northern coordinates. Over the next few weeks, the ship is stopped by ice multiple times. -
The Slow Drift
Shackleton's ship drifts with the ice floe it was stuck in. This drifting lasts for months - from February to October. There were great concerns that the ice would shift and the ship would be crushed. Photo URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Endurance_under_full_sail_Frank_Hurley_State_Library_NSW_a090012h.jpg -
On the Ice
With their expedition plans abandoned with the broken ship, the crew shifted to focusing on surviving. The crew faced food shortages at times, and they ate seals, penguins, and eventually the crew's dog teams to avoid starvation. The crew retrieved and readied the Endurance's lifeboats. -
Ice Trouble
The Endurance becomes stuck in the ice. Despite efforts to free the ship from the ice, the ship remains very stuck. -
The Ship is Lost
On October 24, the side of the ship is pressed against another ice floe so hard the ship starts breaking apart. The crew starts taking supplies out of the ship and onto the ice. On the 27th, Shackleton orders the ship be abandoned. Supplies are salvaged over the next period of time. -
Rescue
After four attempts, the rest of the crew was rescued from Elephant island. -
The James Caird
Shackleton and a few of his crew members travel in the James Caird boat to South Georgia to get help. After a 14-day journey, South Georgia was sighted. -
Elephant Island
After the main ice floe splits, the crew uses the lifeboats to travel perilously to Elephant Island to prepare for their next move. -
The Crew Returns
Members of the expedition returned home safely in June of 1916. Their safe return was barely covered by the news, since it was the middle of WWI, much to the surprise of the crew, who hadn't had contact with the rest of the world since 1914.
