March 2 marks the 65th anniversary of the completion of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Intended to demonstrate Commonwealth unity, it became a symbol of Britain’s imperial decline.
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Articles on Ernest Shackleton
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Earlier this month, one of the most famous shipwrecks in history was discovered in a part of Antarctica claimed by multiple nations.
It’s undoubtedly exciting news, but polar exploration has a poor record when it comes to diversity and we need to rethink the values and attitudes that underpin our fascination.
The resting place of Shackleton’s ill-fated ship is now an international heritage site, and a reminder of how Antarctica’s place in our collective consciousness has changed since the ‘heroic age’.
Accurately calculating a ship’s position by hand in 1915 was easy compared to what the New Zealand-born navigator Frank Worsley had to do next.
A strong mind was key to surviving the monotony faced by Antarctic explorers enduring the isolation of long, remote winters.
Several outstanding women were nominated, but Rainbow Murray, an adviser to the series, says the public vote showed how we’re still more inclined to recognise male achievement.
The drama and somewhat unintentional humour of first one and eventually three ships getting caught in heavy sea ice in the Southern Ocean has been closely followed since before Christmas. The images of…
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