heroic era

Antarctic history

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June 17, 2026

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The "heroic era" of Antarctic exploration, spanning the first two decades of the 20th century, marked significant advancements in both geographic and scientific understanding of the continent. Expeditions during this period proved the feasibility of overwintering in Antarctica and introduced new technologies. Key achievements included reaching farther south on the Ross Ice Shelf than ever before and the first use of motorized transport. The era also saw intense competition, notably the race to the South Pole, with Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reaching it in 1911, followed by Robert Falcon Scott in 1912. The period is generally considered to have concluded with the death of Ernest Shackleton in 1922.12

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Antarctica
The heroic era of exploration
During the first two decades of the 20th century, commonly called the “heroic era” of Antarctic exploration, great advances were made in not only geographic but also scientific knowledge of the continent. At the turn of the century, expeditions scrambled to…
Read More
During the first two decades of the 20th century, commonly called the “heroic era” of Antarctic exploration, great advances were made in not only geographic but also scientific knowledge of the continent. At the turn of the century, expeditions scrambled to…
Read More