2014 Event The International Court of Justice at the U.N. agrees that Japanese whaling is conducted for commercial purposes, not scientific research; Japan accepts the order to cease all whaling activities in the Antarctic 2011 Event Under pressure from conservationists and diplomats, Japan's whaling fleet leaves the Antarctic 2008 Event 160 square mile part of the Antarctic ice shelf disintegrates 1988 Event Convention on exploitation of Antarctic mineral resources signed 1987 Event Iceberg twice size of Rhode Island sighted in Antarctic 1962 Event British Antarctic Territory forms 1961 Event Antarctic Treaty goes into effect 1958 Death Douglas Mawson, Antarctic explorer, geologist, member, Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod expedition, among first to reach South Magnetic Pole, dies of a cerebral hemorrhage, in Brighton, South Australia, at age 76 1958 Event 1st surface crossing of Antarctic continent is completed in 99 days 1956 Event 58 degrees F (15 degrees C), Esperanza Station, Antarctica (Antarctic record high) 1955 Birthday Ann Bancroft, born in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, author, teacher, adventurer, Arctic and Antarctic explorer, National Women's Hall of Fame inductee 1952 Event Fire in main building of French Port Martin Antarctic base 1937 Birthday R B Heywood, director, British Antarctic Survey 1936 Event Australian Antarctic Territory created 1931 Birthday Ken Takakura, Goichi Oda, Kita Japan, actor, Story of Antarctic 1908 Birthday Vivian [Ernest] Fuchs, geologist/explorer, British Antarctic Survey 1882 Birthday Douglas Mawson, born in Yorkshire, England, Antarctic explorer, geologist, member, Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod expedition, among first to reach South Magnetic Pole 1865 Birthday Erich von Drygalski, Germany, geographer/glaciologist/Antarctic expl 1800 Birthday James Clark Ross, explorer, British Antarctic 1787 Birthday James Weddell, Ostend England, Antarctic explorer, Weddell Sea 1773 Event Captain James Cook becomes 1st to cross Antarctic Circle (66 degrees 33' S)
