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Difference between revisions of "South Pole"
→Exploration
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==Exploration== | ==Exploration== | ||
===Pre-1900=== | ===Pre-1900=== | ||
In 1820, several expeditions claimed to have been the first to have sighted Antarctica, with the very first being the Russian expedition led by [[ | In 1820, several expeditions claimed to have been the first to have sighted Antarctica, with the very first being the Russian expedition led by [[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen]] and Mikhail Lazarev. The first landing was probably just over a year later when American Captain John Davis, a sealer, set foot on the [[ice]]. | ||
The basic geography of the Antarctic coastline was not understood until the mid-to-late 19th century. American naval officer Charles Wilkes claimed (correctly) that Antarctica was a new continent, basing the claim on his exploration in 1839–40, while James Clark Ross, in his expedition of 1839–43, hoped that he might be able to sail all the way to the South Pole. (He was unsuccessful.) | The basic geography of the Antarctic coastline was not understood until the mid-to-late 19th century. American naval officer Charles Wilkes claimed (correctly) that Antarctica was a new continent, basing the claim on his exploration in 1839–40, while James Clark Ross, in his expedition of 1839–43, hoped that he might be able to sail all the way to the South Pole. (He was unsuccessful.) | ||