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> _______________________________ 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> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: brachyuran (adj): Of or pertaining to crabs <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brachyuran> ___________________________ 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>