The Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration saw numerous expeditions to explore the continent, with many failing in the harsh environment. Famous explorers include Amundsen, Mawson, Scott, and Shackleton. The era ended in 1917 due to World War I. The extensive documentation of the period is unique, with surviving photographs, diaries, and journals.
The Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration was a period in Antarctic history characterized by numerous exploratory expeditions, many of which attracted great public attention. During the Heroic Age, as this period is sometimes called, numerous expeditions failed in the hostile environment of Antarctica, and expedition members who managed to return home safely often became celebrities in their communities; many also became famous authors.
Most people agree that the inauguration of this epoch occurred in 1895, at a meeting of the Sixth International Geographical Congress in London, England. Participants in the meeting generally agreed that Antarctica represented the last frontier and encouraged the formation of expeditions to explore the continent, in the hope of possibly mapping it by the end of the century. Explorers from around the world responded in droves to the resolution, kicking off a frenzy of expeditions, many of which sadly were poorly planned and poorly executed.
Four great names stand out in accounts of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration: Roald Amundsen, Douglas Mawson, Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton. Amundsen was the first to the South Pole, a remarkable achievement, but later died during a rescue mission. Mawson led another expedition to the South Pole, suffering extreme deprivation along the way, but lived to tell the tale and to die at age 76 of a brain hemorrhage. Scott is famous for being beaten in the race to the South Pole by Amundsen, only to die on the Ross Ice Shelf, while Shackleton went on one expedition and led three others, finally dying of a heart attack in 1922 on the way to attempt to travel to Antarctica by sea.
The end of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration came in 1917, when global attention began to focus much more on the mounting fury of World War I, leaving little time to devote men and resources to Antarctic exploration. Future expeditions had the benefit of communications systems, mechanized transportation, and better awareness of Antarctica’s environment, making them far less dangerous, and today numerous nations have research facilities on Antarctica.
This era of Antarctic history is particularly interesting because, unlike many previous explorations into unknown lands, it has been extensively documented. Numerous photographs, drawings, paintings, diaries and journals survive from the Heroic Era of Antarctic exploration, testifying to events that took place during the Antarctic Expeditions, and many expeditions were closely followed in the media and widely publicized in books. Some people consider this period a bit anachronistic, with larger than life men seeking the unknown in a style that would have been more appropriate in the 18th century than in the 20th.
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