Timelines of Amundsen and Scott Expeditions
| Event | Amundsen Expedition | Scott Expedition | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expedition announcement | 1910-09-09 | 1909-09-13 | Amundsen keeps his South Pole ambitions secret after learning that Cook and Peary claimed the North Pole in 1908/9. He only discloses his actual plans from Madeira on his southbound journey. |
| Departure for 'the south' | 1910-06-03 | 1910-06-16 | Amundsen's Fram departs Kristiania, Norway officially bound for the North Pole Scott's Terra Nova departs Cardiff, Wales for the South Pole |
| Arrival in the Antarctic | 1911-01-14 | 1911-01-04 | Amundsen's route through unknown land Scott's route the same as that chartered by Shackleton until 88° 23′ S |
| Base camp | Bay of Whales, 78° 30′ S | Cape Evans, 77° 38′ S | |
| Distance to the pole | 1285 km (798 miles) | 1381 km (858 miles) | Amundsen 96 km closer |
| Expedition start | 1911-10-20 | 1911-11-01 | Amundsen 11 days ahead of Scott |
| 80° S | 1911-10-23 | 1911-11-18 | 1117 km to the pole, Amundsen 26 days ahead |
| 81° S | 1911-10-31 | 1911-11-23 | 1005 km to the pole, Amundsen 23 days ahead |
| 82° S | 1911-11-05 | 1911-11-28 | 893 km to the pole, Amundsen 23 days ahead |
| 83° S | 1911-11-09 | 1911-12-02 | 782 km to the pole. Amundsen 23 days ahead |
| 84° S | 1911-11-13 | 1911-12-15 | 670 km to the pole, Amundsen 32 days ahead |
| 85° S | 1911-11-17 | 1911-12-21 | 558 km to the pole, Amundsen 34 days ahead |
| 86° S | 1911-11-27 | 1911-12-26 | 447 km to the pole, Amundsen 29 days ahead |
| 87° S | 1911-12-04 | 1912-01-01 | 335 km to the pole, Amundsen 27 days ahead |
| 88° S | 1911-12-06 | 1912-01-06 | 223 km to the pole, Amundsen 31 days ahead |
| 88° 23′ S | 1911-12-07 | 1912-01-09 | Southernmost point reached by Shackleton, 181 km to the pole Amundsen 33 days ahead |
| 89° S | 1911-12-10 | 1912-01-13 | 112 km to the pole, Amundsen 34 days ahead |
| 89° 46′ S | 1911-12-13 | 1912-01-16 | 25 km to the pole, Scott finds the first proof of Amundsen |
| South Pole, 90° S | 1911-12-14, 15:00 | 1912-01-17, 18:30 | Amundsen 34 days ahead of Scott |
| Termination | 1912-01-25, 04:00: Amundsen's expedition returns to base camp after 99 days en route and no casualties |
Scott's expedition dies on return journey 1912-02-17: Evans dies 1912-03-16: Oates dies 1912-03-19: Final camp of Scott, Wilson and Bowers, 18 km short of One Ton depot at 79° 29′ S 1912-03-29: Approximate date of Scott, Wilson and Bowers dying, 150 days after embarking 1912-11-12: Bodies found by the search party |
|
| Departure from the Antarctic | 1912-01-30 | 1913-01-26 | |
| Fate known to public | 1912-03-08: Amundsen sends a telegram from Hobart, Tasmania informing the world that he reached the South Pole |
1913-02-10: The world is informed of the tragedy when Terra Nova reaches Oamaru, New Zealand | |
Read more about this topic: Comparison Of The Amundsen And Scott Expeditions
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