Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s 1897 Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
History Unplugged Podcast11 Touko 2021

Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s 1897 Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night

Polar exploration of the 19th century was the space travel of its day. There were moments of glory, like Ernest Shackleton’s heroic journeys to the Antarctic. There were moments of terror, such as Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition in 1845 to discover the Northwest Passage, which likely ended in starvation, cannibalism, and death. But one journey that has been largely forgotten has one of the most important stories of all. That’s the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897-1899.

The Belgica was one of the first polar expeditions to Antarctica at the end of the 19th century. The voyage was meant to bring fame to all aboard the ship—and it certainly did, but at a very steep cost and not in quite the way the crew had imagined. Today’s guest is Julian Sancton, author of Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night

The Belgica would ultimately earn its fame as a harrowing survival story after the ship and her inhabitants—thanks to the deliberate decision of their captain—became trapped in the ice of the Bellingshausen sea. Surrounded on all sides by immovable sheets of ice, which threatened every day to crush the ship, the men of The Belgica were subjected to a months-long sentence of physical and mental anguish, becoming the first humans to confront the horrors of a completely sunless Antarctic winter.

They survived the world’s most hostile environment and continue to teach the world about human extremes; those who do still remember The Belgica today are mainly the teams at NASA who study the lessons it offers on the physical and psychological limits of the human body as they look towards potential manned expeditions to Mars.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaksot(1076)

Why Wasn’t There a Scientific Revolution Under the Romans?

Why Wasn’t There a Scientific Revolution Under the Romans?

Scientific progress has moved steadily forward across much of the world for centuries, with few examples of abatement. The Scientific Revolution is often considered to have begun at Copernicus's 1543 ...

24 Elo 201711min

What if the Nazis Had Won World War Two?

What if the Nazis Had Won World War Two?

This episode is fifth in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines aren't plausible. The Man in the High Ca...

23 Elo 201715min

If I Were Sent Back in Time to the Roman Empire, How Would I Take Over?

If I Were Sent Back in Time to the Roman Empire, How Would I Take Over?

This episode is fourth in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines aren't plausible. Lest Darkness Fall, w...

22 Elo 201710min

A Vietnam POW’s Story of 6 Years in the Hanoi Hilton — Amy Shively Hawk

A Vietnam POW’s Story of 6 Years in the Hanoi Hilton — Amy Shively Hawk

A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic. -Joseph Stalin When consider major historical events that involved millions of people— World War 2, the Great Depression, the Cold War—it'...

21 Elo 20171h 6min

What if Byzantium Had Never Fallen?

What if Byzantium Had Never Fallen?

This episode is third in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines aren't plausible. Today's book is Harry ...

18 Elo 201711min

What if China Had Discovered the New World?

What if China Had Discovered the New World?

This episode is second in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines aren't plausible. Today's book is Kim S...

17 Elo 201712min

Could One Marine Corps MEU Destroy the Entire Roman Army?

Could One Marine Corps MEU Destroy the Entire Roman Army?

This episode is the first of a five-part series in our Alternate History Week—our version of Shark Week, if you will. We are looking at famous books of alternate history, and I'm discussing why I thin...

16 Elo 201710min

The Bronze Age Collapse of 1177 BC: The Most Catastrophic Event in History

The Bronze Age Collapse of 1177 BC: The Most Catastrophic Event in History

There was an event in history worse than World War I, worse than the Mongol invasions that killed 40 million, worse than the little Ice Age that triggered famines and rebellions across the medieval wo...

15 Elo 201710min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

sita
olipa-kerran-otsikko
kaksi-aitia
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
i-dont-like-mondays
uutiscast
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
kolme-kaannekohtaa
mamma-mia
rss-murhan-anatomia
rss-nikotellen
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
aikalisa
meidan-pitais-puhua
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
naakkavalta
mystista
loukussa