History of Antarctica in Timeline

Antarctica, the southernmost continent, is largely uninhabited and encompasses the geographic South Pole. It's the fifth-largest continent, significantly bigger than Europe, with an area of 14.2 million square kilometers. The vast majority of Antarctica is covered by a massive ice sheet, averaging 1.9 kilometers in thickness. This makes it a unique and extreme environment.

1907: Coal recorded near Beardmore Glacier

In 1907, Frank Wild recorded the first discovery of coal in Antarctica near the Beardmore Glacier during the Nimrod Expedition.

1907: Nimrod Expedition

In 1907, during the Nimrod Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton, Edgeworth David's party climbed Mount Erebus and reached the south magnetic pole.

December 1908: First crossing of the Ross Ice Shelf

In December 1908, Shackleton and his team became the first humans to traverse the Ross Ice Shelf.

February 1909: First crossing of the Transantarctic Mountains

In February 1909, Shackleton and his team were the first to cross the Transantarctic Mountains via the Beardmore Glacier.

1909: British explorers reach magnetic South Pole

In 1909, British explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton became the first to reach the magnetic South Pole.

December 1911: First reach of the geographic South Pole

On December 14, 1911, an expedition led by Roald Amundsen reached the geographic South Pole, using a route from the Bay of Whales.

1911: Norwegian explorer reaches geographic South Pole

In 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first to reach the geographic South Pole.

1912: Discovery of the Adelie Land Meteorite

In 1912, the Adelie Land meteorite was discovered, marking the first meteorite found in Antarctica. Meteorites contain clues about the composition of the Solar System and its early development.

October 1913: First child born in the southern polar region

On October 8, 1913, Solveig Gunbjørg Jacobsen was the first child born in the southern polar region in Grytviken.

1931: Douglas Mawson retired

In 1931, Douglas Mawson, who led the Magnetic Pole party on their return, retired.

1935: Caroline Mikkelsen lands on island of Antarctica

In 1935, Caroline Mikkelsen landed on an island of Antarctica.

1937: First woman on Antarctic mainland

In 1937, Ingrid Christensen became the first woman to step onto the Antarctic mainland.

1955: Ocean warming around West Antarctica

Since 1955, the ocean around West Antarctica has warmed by 1 °C (1.8 °F).

October 1956: U.S. Navy group reached the South Pole by air

On October 31, 1956, a U.S. Navy group led by Rear Admiral George J. Dufek reached the South Pole by landing an aircraft there.

1957: Start of Antarctic Tourism

Tourists have been visiting Antarctica since 1957, under the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty and Environmental Protocol.

1959: Antarctica Day Commemorates Treaty Signing

Antarctica Day, celebrated on December 1, commemorates the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.

1959: Antarctic Treaty System

In 1959, the Antarctic Treaty System was established, governing Antarctica by about 30 countries. It prohibits military activity, mining, nuclear explosions, and nuclear waste disposal.

1959: New claims on Antarctica suspended

Since 1959, new claims on Antarctica have been suspended under the Antarctic Treaty System.

1964: First international agreement to protect biodiversity

In 1964, the first international agreement was adopted to protect Antarctica's biodiversity.

1965: Argentine military conducts Operation 90

In 1965, the Argentine military conducted Operation 90 to strengthen Argentina's claim in Antarctica.

1966: End of the whaling era

The whaling era in South Georgia, which began in 1786, lasted until 1966.

1969: Six women flown to the South Pole

In 1969, six women were flown to the South Pole as a publicity stunt.

January 1978: First birth on Antarctic mainland

On January 7, 1978, Emilio Marcos Palma was the first person born south of the 60th parallel south and the first to be born on the Antarctic mainland at the Esperanza Base.

1979: Mount Erebus Disaster

In 1979, an Air New Zealand plane crashed into Mount Erebus, killing all 257 people on board, halting overland sightseeing flights out of Australia and New Zealand.

1980: Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

In 1980, the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources came into force, regulating fisheries to preserve ecological relationships.

1980: Treaty on sustainable fishing

In analogy to the 1980 treaty on sustainable fishing, countries led by New Zealand and the United States negotiated a treaty on mining.

July 1983: Lowest natural air temperature recorded

On July 21, 1983, the lowest natural air temperature ever recorded on Earth was measured at the Russian Vostok Station in Antarctica, reaching −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F).

1983: Antarctica's coastline composition

As of 1983, Antarctica's coastline was composed of 44% floating ice, 38% ice walls resting on rock, 13% ice streams or glacier edges, and 5% exposed rock.

1985: Discovery of ozone hole

In 1985, British scientists discovered a large area of low ozone concentration, known as the 'ozone hole,' over Antarctica while working at Halley Research Station.

1985: Discovery of oldest human remains

In 1985, the oldest known human remains in the Antarctic region were found at Yamana Beach at the South Shetland Islands: a skull dated from 1819 to 1825, belonging to a young woman likely part of a sealing expedition.

1987: Greenpeace establishes base on Ross Island

From 1987, the pressure group Greenpeace established a base on Ross Island until 1992, as part of its attempt to establish the continent as a World Park.

1987: Montreal Protocol restricts emissions

In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was established, restricting the emissions of ozone-depleting substances.

1988: Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities adopted

In 1988, the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities was adopted.

1989: First Icestock Music Festival

Since 1989, the southernmost music festival in the world, Icestock, has been held at McMurdo Station.

1992: Greenpeace closes Ross Island base

In 1992, Greenpeace closed its base on Ross Island, which had been established in 1987.

1994: Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary established

In 1994, the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary was established by the International Whaling Commission, covering 50 million km² and completely surrounding the Antarctic continent.

1996: First solo crossing of Antarctica

In the summer of 1996–1997, Norwegian explorer Børge Ousland became the first person to cross Antarctica alone from coast to coast, using a kite on parts of the journey.

1997: First solo crossing of Antarctica

In the summer of 1996–1997, Norwegian explorer Børge Ousland became the first person to cross Antarctica alone from coast to coast, using a kite on parts of the journey.

1998: Madrid Protocol enters into force

In 1998, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol) entered into force, banning all mining and designating Antarctica as a "natural reserve devoted to peace and science".

1998: Environmental Protection Protocol Enacted

In 1998, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty came into effect, restricting the exploitation of Antarctic resources, including minerals.

2004: Opening of Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Church

In 2004, the Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Church opened at the Bellingshausen Station on King George Island; it is staffed year-round by rotated priests.

September 2006: Largest ozone hole

In September 2006, the ozone hole over Antarctica reached its largest extent, covering almost the entire continent.

2010: Lower air temperature recorded by satellite

In 2010, a satellite recorded an even lower air temperature of −94.7 °C (−138.5 °F); however, it might have been influenced by ground temperatures and was not recorded at the official height for air temperature records.

2010: Census of Marine Life

In 2010, the Census of Marine Life found that more than 235 marine organisms live in both polar regions, having bridged a gap of 12,000 km (7,456 mi).

2011: Alice Giles Performs in Antarctica

In 2011, Australian classical harpist Alice Giles became the first professional musician to perform in Antarctica.

2012: Queen Elizabeth Land Designated

In 2012, the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office designated a previously unnamed area Queen Elizabeth Land in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, leading to a protest from the Argentine government.

2012: Release of "South of Sanity"

In 2012, the first full-length fictional film to be shot in Antarctica, "South of Sanity", a low budget British horror film, was released.

Loading Video...

2014: Antarctic sea ice coverage decreases rapidly

Until 2014 the coverage of Antarctic sea ice had been increasing since observations started in the late 1970s, but since 2014 the coverage has decreased rapidly.

2015: Norway Defines Queen Maud Land

In 2015, Norway formally defined Queen Maud Land as including the unclaimed area between it and the South Pole.

2015: USAP Strategic Vision for Antarctic Research

In 2015, the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) created a Strategic Vision for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research, the midterm assessment of which was released in 2021.

2017: Population of civilian bases in Antarctica

As of 2017, the number of people in the 2 all-civilian bases of Antarctica (Esperanza Base and the Villa Las Estrellas base) varied from 136 people in the winter to 266 people in the summer.

2017: Scientist Presence in Antarctica

In 2017, there were more than 4,400 scientists undertaking research in Antarctica, a number that fell to just over 1,100 in the winter.

2019: Peak in Antarctic Tourism

During the 2019–2020 season, over 74,000 tourists visited Antarctica, with 18,500 travelling on cruise ships but not disembarking.

2020: Decline in Antarctic Tourism due to COVID-19 pandemic

In 2020, the numbers of tourists visiting Antarctica fell rapidly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Longest-lasting ozone depletion event

In 2020, the ozone depletion event over Antarctica was the longest-lasting on record.

2021: USAP Releases Midterm Assessment

In 2021, the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) released a Midterm Assessment on the 2015 Strategic Vision for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research, stressing the prominent role of the Southern Ocean in the global carbon cycle and sea level rise.

2022: 29 countries with consultative status

As of 2022, 29 countries have demonstrated that they do significant research on Antarctica, granting them 'consultative status' and allowing them to participate in decision-making based on consensus.

2022: Antarctic Film Festival Participation

As of 2022, 48 stations are registered to participate in the Antarctic Film Festival, which is held annually between bases and features short films of 5 minutes or less.

2022: Australian Antarctic Program Releases Action Plan

In 2022, the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) released a new Strategy and 20-year Action Plan (2022–2036) to modernize its Antarctic program. The global climate system was highlighted as one of the main priorities that will be supported and studied through the AAP Strategy Plan.

2023: British Antarctic Survey Strategy Report

In 2023, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) released a 10-year (2023–2033) strategy report to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to focus on creating sustainable living on Earth. Environmental sustainability is named as one of the top focus areas by the BAS strategy.