Robert Scott is a polar explorer, one of the first discoverers of the South Pole. The captain of the Royal Navy of Great Britain led two Antarctic expeditions, Terra Nova and Discovery.
On a second voyage, Robert Falcon Scott managed to reach the uncharted South Pole. However, anticipating triumph, the researchers discovered that a few weeks earlier, on January 17, 1912, a Norwegian expedition had been there.
Towards a destination
The biography of the future polar explorer began in 1868. One of the most famous discoverers of the South Pole was born in Plymouth on June 6 in a large family. Robert became the third of seven children. From birth, the parents determined a naval career for their eldest son. For four years, the boy attended day school, then moved to Stubbington House School.
In Hampshire, cadets were trained for the naval training ship of the country's navy. The thirteen-year-old Scott's naval career began in 1881. In June 1883, the cadet was promoted to midshipman. In October, he traveled to South Africa to join the crew of the warship Boadicea, where he was to begin service at a new rank.
On board, Scott met with the Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society, Clements Markham. He opened a new world of research to the young man. Markham dreamed of going with a team of like-minded people to the Arctic Circle. The young midshipman was also among the interesting people for the geographer. On March 1, 1887, Robert became the winner of the boat race among the cadets.
A year later, the midshipman was a junior lieutenant and then a lieutenant. In 1893 the course on torpedoing on the warship "Vernon" was completed. In 1894, Scott was given full financial support for the family. Now promotion has become a necessity. The Royal Navy limited these possibilities.
In June 1899 in London, Scott met Markham, who became president of the Geographical Society and knighted. He invited the navigator to lead an expedition to the Pole. Consent was obtained.
Fateful meeting
A joint project of the Royal Geographical Society and the London Society for the development of knowledge about the nature "Discovery" was based on the participation of officers of the Navy. Despite the recommendations about the leadership of the scientist's journey, Scott received the commander's rights. King Edward the Seventh, who visited the ship, granted Robert the knighthood.
The course for Antarctica was taken on August 6, 1901. No one had any idea about the rules of navigation and the peculiarities of landing on the icy continent. In research tasks there was a long voyage to the South Pole.
The march ended far from the desired point. On the way back, the strength of one of the leaders of the expedition, Ernest Shackleton, was exhausted. He returned to England earlier than the agreed date with a part of the team.
The following year, Discovery discovered the South Plateau. More than four hundred kilometers were covered to the pole. The researchers knew that they were practically there. To free the ship from the ice, it took two rescue ships and a lot of explosives. The vessel alternately found itself in deep water, then aground. In September 1904, the team had to return to their homeland.
Scott has received many high awards. The king promoted him to the commander of the Victorian Order. By early 1906, Robert began organizing a new trip. By that time, the officer had arranged his personal life. In early 1907 he met Caitlin Bruce, a talented sculptor.
Sea trips did not contribute to the successful development of relations, moreover, Robert was not the only fan of the girl. On September 2, 1908, the young people officially became husband and wife. The family had an only child named Peter Markham Scott.
Travel to the Pole
From 1909, the officer was completely interested in polar research. He began planning a cruise aboard the Terra Nova. Its main goal was to reach the South Pole and provide the empire with primacy in this. All previous mistakes were taken into account. On June 15, 1910, the ship sailed from Wales.
The main rival was the Norwegian Roald Amundsen. His schooner "Fram" was specially designed for such voyages. Upon arrival, the team was divided into three groups. Two were assigned to advance on dogs, sleighs and ponies to organize food depots for the foot, in which Scott himself walked.
Full of expectations of a grandiose discovery, the group on January 4, 1912 noticed the tracks of the teams at the desired limit and stated that they were significantly ahead of them. On January 18, the British set off back. On the way, the group was caught by a storm.
The travelers did not wait for the promised dog team. Sir Robert Scott passed away on March 29 or 30, 1912. He kept the diaries of all members of the team that died on the way. The commander was found on November 12.
On the site of the last camp, a cross with the names of the victims was erected and a line from Tennyson's poem "Ulysses" was carved. Upon news of the death of a study in England, he was declared a national hero. For a decade, the memory of the famous traveler has been perpetuated.
The Institute of Polar Research named after him was founded in Cambridge. An asteroid, a crater on the Moon, glaciers are named in honor of Scott. The name "Amundsen-Scott" is the US scientific base at the South Pole.
The dramatic story formed the basis of the film "Scott from Antarctica" and the telenovela "The Last Place on Earth". Large-scale filming of "Race to the South Pole" began, but in 2013 the work was suspended.
