HISTORY OF EXPLORATION

Early Explorers

• 1820: First confirmed sighting of Antarctica
  
  

• 1901–1904: Discovery Expedition (Scott & Shackleton)
  
  

• 1911: Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole first
  
  

• 1912: Captain Robert Scott reached the Pole (didn’t survive return)
  
  

20th Century Research

• 1950s: Expansion of scientific bases
  
  

• 1959: Antarctic Treaty signed — no military activity, only peace & science
  
  

Today

Every year, scientists from around the world work together to study climate, oceans, and ecosystems.