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Life at the Poles

When these happened

23 dated records from 1773 to 2049. Each is drawn as wide as its date is certain — a band is a band because nobody knows the year, not because the drawing is imprecise.

17751800182518501875190019251950197520002025Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle — 1773-01-17Antarctica is sighted - by whom is disputed — 1820 (contested)Amundsen reaches the South Pole — 1911-12-14Scott reaches the South Pole and finds he is second — 1912-01-17The Svalbard Treaty is signed at Paris — 1920-02-09The International Geophysical Year puts twelve nations on the ice at once — 1957-07 / 1958-12The Antarctic Treaty is signed at Washington — 1959-12-01The Antarctic Treaty enters into force — 1961-06-23The Inuit Circumpolar Council is founded — 1977The continuous satellite sea-ice record begins — 1979CCAMLR is agreed at Canberra — 1980-05-20Vostok records minus 89.2 degrees Celsius — 1983-07-21The Madrid Protocol prohibits Antarctic mining — 1991-10-04The Arctic Council is founded at Ottawa — 1996-09-19A long-term decline in krill density is linked to winter sea ice — 2004The Arctic summer minimum drops far below anything previously observed — 2007-09The lowest Arctic sea-ice extent in the satellite record — 2012-09The Halley Bay emperor colony fails and does not recover — 2016 onwardCCAMLR adopts the Ross Sea marine protected area — 2016-10Seven Arctic states pause participation in the Arctic Council — 2022-03-03The emperor penguin is listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act — 2022-10-25Antarctic sea ice reaches a record low, a year after the previous one — 2023-02The Madrid Protocol becomes open to a review conference — 2048 (earliest possible review)
23 shown · 23 dated · 0 cannot be placed on an axis · Approximate or contested. Draw a band and do not sharpen its edges.
In order23
  1. 1773-01-17Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  2. 1820 (contested)Antarctica is sighted - by whom is disputedsources disagree about the date

    Sources disagree, or the dating is contested. Stated, not resolved.

  3. 1911-12-14Amundsen reaches the South Pole

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  4. 1912-01-17Scott reaches the South Pole and finds he is second

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  5. 1920-02-09The Svalbard Treaty is signed at Paris

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  6. 1957-07 / 1958-12The International Geophysical Year puts twelve nations on the ice at once

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  7. 1959-12-01The Antarctic Treaty is signed at Washington

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  8. 1961-06-23The Antarctic Treaty enters into force

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  9. 1977The Inuit Circumpolar Council is founded

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  10. 1979The continuous satellite sea-ice record begins

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  11. 1980-05-20CCAMLR is agreed at Canberra

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  12. 1983-07-21Vostok records minus 89.2 degrees Celsius

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  13. 1991-10-04The Madrid Protocol prohibits Antarctic mining

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  14. 1996-09-19The Arctic Council is founded at Ottawa

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  15. 2004A long-term decline in krill density is linked to winter sea ice

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  16. 2007-09The Arctic summer minimum drops far below anything previously observed

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  17. 2012-09The lowest Arctic sea-ice extent in the satellite record

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  18. 2016 onwardThe Halley Bay emperor colony fails and does not recover

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  19. 2016-10CCAMLR adopts the Ross Sea marine protected area

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  20. 2022-03-03Seven Arctic states pause participation in the Arctic Council

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  21. 2022-10-25The emperor penguin is listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  22. 2023-02Antarctic sea ice reaches a record low, a year after the previous one

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  23. 2048 (earliest possible review)The Madrid Protocol becomes open to a review conferencea declared target, not a prediction

    A programme target or declared plan. NEVER a prediction.