1975 Event Norwegian King Olav V opens Longyearbyen Airport on Spitsbergen 1930 Event Remains of Solomon Andrees' balloon expedition to North Pole in 1897, found at Kvit oya Spitsbergen 1926 Event Airship Norge leaves Spitsbergen for 1st air crossing of Arctic Ocean 1925 Event Norway annexes Spitsbergen 1925 Event Roald Amundsun leaves Spitsbergen with 2 seaplanes to North Pole 1923 Event Walter Mittelholzer flies Junkers F-13 to Spitsbergen/Oostland 1897 Event Solomon Andree leaves Spitsbergen by balloon towards North Pole 1597 Death Willem Barents, explorer (discovered Spitsbergen and Bereneil), dies
