The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration began in the late 19th century and ended after WW1, during which both the geographical and magnetic poles were reached. Ernest Shackleton, born in 1874 in Kildare, later moved to London and joined the merchant navy at 16, becoming a master mariner by 24. He served on Scott’s Discovery Expedition in 1901, then led the 1908 Nimrod Expedition, reaching the South Polar Plateau and earning a knighthood.
His 1914 Endurance expedition became a legendary survival story after the ship was trapped in ice. The crew of 28 survived by rowing 557km in a small boat. Shackleton died in 1922 while on an expedition and was buried on South Georgia.