Ernest Shackleton

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was born on February 15, 1874, in Kilkea, County Kildare, Ireland, to Henry Shackleton and Henrietta Letitia Sophia Gavan. His family, of Anglo-Irish background, relocated to Sydenham in south London when he was ten. Shackleton became one of the key figures in what came to be known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His early polar experience came during the Discovery Expedition from 1901 to 1904, where he served under Robert Falcon Scott. Although sent home early due to health issues, he had already helped push the record for southern travel to a new latitude. Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition from 1907 to 1909 brought him even closer to the South Pole, setting another record by reaching within 97 miles of it. His team also climbed Mount Erebus during this mission. He was knighted upon his return for these accomplishments. After Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1911, Shackleton aimed to traverse the continent via the pole. His Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition from 1914 to 1917 is remembered for the sinking of the Endurance and the harrowing survival journey that followed. Shackleton died of a heart attack in 1922 during a later expedition and was buried on South Georgia Island at his wife's request.