Sir Ernest Shackleton

Home

Amundsen

Armstrong

Hillary

Shackleton

Thayer

Born on February 15, 1874 in Kilkea County, Ireland, Sir Ernest Shackleton is probably best known for the expedition he did not complete. After Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1912, Shackleton turned his attention to what he thought was the last great objective of Antarctica exploration - the crossing of the continent from sea to sea via the pole.

In 1914 he set out with his crew on the ship Endurance. Disaster struck when the ship became trapped in packed ice and was slowly crushed before the party could land. Through Shackleton's leadership, everyone of the crew members survived the disaster and in 1917 they returned safely to South Georgia Island. However, Shackleton did not reach immediate heroic status until the end of the twenty century. It wasn't until that time when polar historians "rediscovered" Shackleton. He became a role model for his leadership skills and for keeping his entire crew together to accomplish a survival story that many have only been able to describe as "incredible."

Below is an actual picture from the bow of the Endurance as the ship started to enter the ice floes of Antarctica in 1914. Photographer Frank Hurley was part of the expedition, and part of the reason this expedition was able to be "rediscovered". Frank was able to return safely to South Georgia Island along with his photographs and equipment.

To learn more about Sir Ernest Shackleton -Click Here