The First Expedition To The South Pole Was An Amazing Achievement – But A Bittersweet Pill For The British Team

Captain Scott and his crew were in despair when they reached their destination.

Wednesday marks the anniversary of the first expedition to reach the southern most place on earth.

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and four others were the first to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911 - marked by a Google Doodle 105 years on.

Amundsen famously beat a British team lead by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, who also made the 920-mile ordeal across the Antarctic to the bottom of the earth, where temperatures can plunge to -80C.

Captain Roald Amundsen and his team were the first to reach the South Pole
Captain Roald Amundsen and his team were the first to reach the South Pole
Bettmann via Getty Images
The 105th anniversary of the expedition is celebrated with a Google Doodle
The 105th anniversary of the expedition is celebrated with a Google Doodle
Google

The ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition arrived 33 days later on 17 January 1912.

Scott and his crew were in despair when they reached their destination - finding a Norwegian flag which Amundsen had left five weeks earlier.

Scott and two members of his team died in the cold as they tried to retrace their steps back - Amundsen was already sailing home at this point.

From left to right: Dr Edward Wilson, Lt. Henry (Birdie) Bowers, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Petty Officer Edgar Evans and Capt. Lawrence (Titus) Oates, not long before they died on their way back from the trek
From left to right: Dr Edward Wilson, Lt. Henry (Birdie) Bowers, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Petty Officer Edgar Evans and Capt. Lawrence (Titus) Oates, not long before they died on their way back from the trek
-/AP
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