| 1599 |
Dirk Gerritsz (Dutch) rounds Cape Horn and is blown off course; spots South Shetland Islands |
| 1606 |
The Dutch team thinks it has found southern continent but it is actually Australia |
| 1642 |
Abel Tasman (Dutch) discovers New Zealand (Tasmania named after him) |
| 1773 |
James Cook (English) crosses Antarctic circle and circumnavigates Antarctica |
| 1800 |
Seal harvesting begins |
| 1820 |
William Smith and Edward Bransfield are first to sight continent |
| 1821 |
John Davis (American) is first to set foot on continent |
| 1822 |
Thaddeus von Bellingshausen (Russian): Antarctica is officially discovered |
| 1823 |
James Wendell (English) discovers the sea that will be named after him |
| 1840 |
James Clark Ross (English) travels to within 80 miles of the coast; discovers Ross Ice Shelf and Mt. Erebus volcano |
| 1902 |
Captain Scott (English) leads first expedition to get close to the South Pole |
| 1907 |
Ernest Shackleton (English) gets to within 97 miles of the South Pole |
| 1909 |
Douglas Mawson reaches magnetic South Pole |
| 1911 |
Roald Amundson (Norwegian) leads first expedition to reach South Pole |
| 1911 |
Cook reaches South Pole one month behind Amundson |
| 1915 |
Shackleton returns to complete first crossing of Antarctica an amazing adventure |
| 1928 |
Richard Bird (American) is first to fly over the South Pole |
| 1935 |
Caroline Mikkelsen (Norway) is first woman to set foot on Antarctica |
| 1947 |
Operation Highjump US mounts largest expedition to South Pole |
| 1956 |
US lands an aircraft at Antarctica |
| 1957 |
Named International Geophysical Year; 12 nations establish 60 stations |
| 1957 |
Edmund Hillary (New Zealand) and Vivian Fuchs (English) make first successful land crossing |
| 1961 |
Antarctic Treaty goes into effect |
| 1961 |
Boerge Ousland (Norway) is first to cross Antarctica unsupported |
