The Terra Nova Expedition was led by Robert Falcon Scott with the
objective of being the first to reach the geographical South Pole.
Scott and four companions attained the pole on 17 January 1912, to find
that a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had preceded them by 33
days. Scott's entire party died on the return journey from the pole;
some of their bodies and journals were discovered by a search party in
November 1912. The expedition, named after its supply ship, was a
private venture, financed by public contributions augmented by a
government grant. As well as its polar attempt the expedition carried
out a comprehensive scientific programme, explored Victoria Land and
the Western Mountains, and made the first-ever extended sledging
journey in the depths of an Antarctic winter (to Cape Crozier, to
collect Emperor Penguin eggs). For many years after his death Scott's
status as tragic hero was unchallenged, and few questions were asked
about the causes of the disaster which overtook his party. In the final
quarter of the 20th century the expedition came under closer scrutiny,
and more critical views were expressed about its organisation and
management. The degree of Scott's personal culpability remains a matter
of controversy among commentators.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Nova_Expedition>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1571:
Elizabeth I of England issued a royal charter establishing Jesus
College , the first Protestant college at the University of Oxford.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_College%2C_Oxford>
1844:
Latter Day Saint movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr. and his brother
Hyrum were killed by an armed mob who stormed the prison where they
were incarcerated in Carthage, Illinois.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Joseph_Smith%2C_Jr.>
1898:
Canadian-American seaman and adventurer Joshua Slocum completed the
first solo circumnavigation of the globe sailing on his refitted
sloop-rigged fishing boat Spray, a distance of more than 46,000 miles
(74,000 km).
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Slocum>
1989:
The International Labour Organization Convention 169, a major binding
international convention concerning indigenous peoples, and a
forerunner of the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
was adopted.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_and_Tribal_Peoples_Convention%2C_1989>
1991:
Yugoslavia invaded Slovenia, two days after the latter's declaration of
independence from the former, starting the Ten-Day War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-Day_War>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
brachyuran (adj):
Of or pertaining to crabs
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brachyuran>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done
without hope.
--Helen Keller
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Helen_Keller>