Who was Sir Ernest Shackleton?
Shackleton was born in Kilkea, Ireland, in 1874 and is best known for leading British expeditions to the Antarctic.
He joined the merchant navy aged 16 and, in 1901, landed a place on Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s first Antarctic expedition.
Just six years later, he led his own voyage to the region, on the Nimrod, and made it to roughly 97 miles from the South Pole. He was knighted when he returned to England.
Shackleton’s next Antarctic expedition started in 1914. The ship became locked in pack ice in January 1915 and was gradually crushed, sinking in October of that year.
The crew drifted on ice floes for five months before Shackelton led a small group of men on a mission in small boats to raise the alarm – which led to all members of the Endurance crew being rescued.
The mission is considered one of the greatest-ever survival tales and cemented Shackleton’s status as one of the greatest Antarctic explorers.
He died in January 1922, aged 47, after a heart attack on board Quest while attempting his fourth Antarctic expedition.
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