Scotland and the Antarctic

Section 1: Background - Arctic and Antarctic ... Arctic exploration

The North Pole

Attempts were made in the nineteenth century to reach the North Pole. Some of the expeditions to find the Northwest Passage made attempts to reach as far north as possible.

The furthest North

1773

Horatio Nelson - 80°40'N

1827

William Parry - 82°45'N

1875

George Nares - 83°20'N

1895

Fridjtof Nansen - 86°16'N

1908

Frederick Cook - 90°N

1909

Robert Peary - 90°N

1926

Umberto Nobile on airship Norge with 14 companions (including Amundsen) flew from Svalbard to Alaska.

1968/69

Wally Herbert and three companions made the first crossing of the Arctic from Point Barrow to Svalbard

1958

First submarine at the North Pole (Nautilus, USA)

1977

First icebreaker at the North Pole (from Russia)

There is still much controversy over who was first at the North Pole. Although Cook claimed to be there in 1908 many did not believe him and the authorities accepted Peary as the first. Many people dispute this claim. The Norge is the only undisputed claim of an early visit to the North Pole.