Antarctica - Famous Explorers
The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration was an era beginning at the end of the 19th century. During this time 17 major Antarctic expeditions were launched from ten countries. Many famous explorers went to the Antarctic in order to learn about the continent.
They also wanted to be the first to reach the geographical south pole.
They also wanted to be the first to reach the geographical south pole.
Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer. He led the Antarctic expedition of 1910-1912. It was the first to reach the South Pole, on 14 December 1911. In 1926, he was the first expedition leader for the air expedition to the North Pole. Roald Amundsen is the first person in the world to have reached both the north and south poles. He was also part of the first expedition to cross the Northwest Passage (1903-1906). In June 1928, while taking part in a rescue mission, the plane he was in disappeared. |
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Scott was an English Royal Navy officer who led two expeditions to the Antarctica: the Discovery Expedition in 1901–04 and the Terra Nova Expedition in 1910–13.
On the first expedition, his expedition set a new southern record by marching to latitude 82°S. On the second expedition, Scott led a party of five which reached the South Pole on 17 January 1912, only to find that the Norwegian expedition, led by Roald Amundsen, had reached the South Pole before them. |
On their return journey Scott and his companions died from a combination of exhaustion, starvation and extreme cold.
Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton was a polar explorer. He led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was born in County Kildare. He moved with his family to England when he was 10 years old.
His first expedition to Antarctica was with Captain Robert Falcon Scott's on the Discovery Expedition in 1901–04. He was sent home early because he got sick after he and Scott and Wilson, set a new southern record. |
When Roald Amundsen in 1911 was the first man to get to the South Pole, Shackleton decided that he should cross Antarctica from sea to sea, via the South Pole. Disaster struck when the ship, Endurance, became trapped in pack ice and was slowly crushed. The crew escaped by camping on the sea ice until it disintegrated. They then launched the lifeboats to reach Elephant Island. Some of the crew continued on to South Georgia to get help for the crew members that were left behind.
In 1921, he returned to Antarctica, but died of a heart attack while his ship was moored in South Georgia. He was buried there.
In 1921, he returned to Antarctica, but died of a heart attack while his ship was moored in South Georgia. He was buried there.
Tom Crean
Source: The Kerry Museum
|
Tom Crean was another Antarctic explorer during this period. He was from Annascaul in County Kerry. He left the family farm and enlisted in the Royal Navy at the age of 15. While serving on the Ringaroom, in New Zealand he volunteered to join Scott's Discovery Expedition (1901-1904).
During the Discovery expedition he walked 56 km alone across the Ross Ice Shelf to save the life of Edward Evans. |
He also went on two more expeditions: the Terra Nova Expedition (1910-1913) and the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917). After the Endurance was crushed in pack ice Crean an the other members of the expedition spent months drifting on the ice before they made their way to Elephant Island in boats. He and some other crew members made an open boat journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia to get help for the rest of the crew.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjgy1jikPZY
http://kerrymuseum.ie/galleries/tom-crean-room/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjgy1jikPZY
http://kerrymuseum.ie/galleries/tom-crean-room/