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Amundsen's Team Reaches the South Pole

Roald Amundsen and four companions reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911.

Published · Updated · 1 min read

The Event

Roald Amundsen and four companions reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911. Their Norwegian expedition arrived before Robert Falcon Scott's party.

The Wider Story

Planning, skiing, dogs and carefully prepared supply depots supported the journey. The achievement depended on a team rather than one explorer traveling alone.

Putting the Event in Perspective

Scott's arrival came in January 1912.

Reading the Historical Record

Do not combine the two parties in a fictional meeting or show aircraft and modern research buildings.

About the Historical Recreation

The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: five distant early-twentieth-century polar travelers at a small tent on the Antarctic plateau. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.

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