Setting Foot At Long Last

Decades after Cook’s failed attempts, Russian-backed explorer Fabian von Bellingshausen became the first person actually to see Antarctica. However, his achievement went unnoticed for a long time due to issues with his journal’s translation.

The honor of being the first person to set foot on Antarctic land belongs to American sailor John Davis and his crew. They did so on February 7, 1821, but only stayed for less than an hour in their attempts to search for seals. Seal fur was a popular material for making shoes at the time.