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82-475: Ernest Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish polar explorer. Shackleton or Shackelton may also refer to: Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO OBE FRGS FRSGS (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic . He was one of the principal figures of

164-650: A knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours list in November, becoming Sir Ernest Shackleton . The RGS awarded him a gold medal; a proposal to present him with a smaller medal than that earlier awarded to Captain Scott was not acted on. Each member of the Nimrod Expedition shore party received a silver Polar Medal on 23 November, Shackleton himself receiving a clasp to attach to his earlier medal. He

246-404: A carpenter Harry McNish , and a biologist named Robert Clark . Of later independent fame was the expedition's official photographer Frank Hurley , known on this mission for his perilous shots. Perce Blackborow was a nineteen-year-old Welsh sailor who had stowed away on the ship after being refused a job; although angered by this, Shackleton realised it was too late to turn back by the time

328-525: A child) or one of her sisters as "brown of skin all over", with hair "betwixt blue-black and brown"; but, aside from the confusion over who is being described, it is unclear precisely what these terms imply. All known portraits appear to show Philippa as white. Historian Kathryn Warner concludes that she was "a European woman and emphatically not of African ancestry". Although the BBC's original ranked list has been removed from their web server and what remains

410-602: A distilling company. A revival of the vintage formula for the particular brands found was offered for sale, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust which had discovered the lost spirits. On Shackleton's return home, public honours were quickly forthcoming. He was received by King Edward VII on 10 July 1909, and raised to a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order . He received

492-590: A farmer and settled in Kilkea. The Shackleton family are of English origin, specifically from West Yorkshire . Shackleton's father was descended from Abraham Shackleton , an English Quaker who moved to Ireland in 1726 and started a school in Ballitore , County Kildare. Shackleton's mother, Henrietta Letitia Sophia Gavan, was descended from the Fitzmaurice family. Ernest was the second of ten children and

574-473: A few days, with the position at 69°5′ S, 51°30′ W, he gave the order to abandon ship, saying, "She's going down!"; and men, provisions and equipment were transferred to camps on the ice. On 21 November 1915, the wreck of Endurance finally slipped beneath the surface. For almost two months, Shackleton and his party camped on a large, flat floe, hoping that it would drift towards Paulet Island , approximately 250 miles (402 km) away, where it

656-542: A fortune in the world of business. Among the ventures that he hoped to promote were a tobacco company, a scheme for selling special postage stamps to collectors—overprinted "King Edward VII Land", based on his appointment as Antarctic postmaster by the New Zealand authorities —and the development of a Hungarian mining concession he had acquired near the city of Nagybanya , now part of Romania . As none of these enterprises prospered, Shackleton's main source of income

738-533: A hundred and sixty miles from the ship, and full loads to pull all the way." The party finally arrived back at the ship on 3 February 1903. After a medical examination that proved inconclusive, Scott decided to send Shackleton home on the relief ship Morning , which had arrived in McMurdo Sound in January. Scott wrote: "He ought not to risk further hardships in his present state of health." There

820-555: A journalist, working for the Royal Magazine , but he found this unsatisfactory. He was then offered, and accepted, the secretaryship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS), a post which he took up on 11 January 1904. Three months later, on 9 April, he married Emily Dorman , with whom he had three children: Raymond, Cecily, and Edward , himself an explorer and later

902-462: A letter to RGS Secretary John Scott Keltie , that "the English nation has by this deed of Shackleton's won a victory [...] which never can be surpassed." Fridtjof Nansen sent an effusive private letter to Shackleton's wife, praising the "unique expedition, which has been such a complete success in every respect." The reality was that the expedition had left Shackleton deeply in debt, unable to meet

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984-523: A new southern record by marching to latitude 82°S. During the Nimrod Expedition of 1907–1909, he and three companions established a new record Farthest South latitude of 88°23′ S, only 97  geographical miles (112  statute miles or 180 kilometres) from the South Pole , the largest advance to the pole in exploration history. Also, members of his team climbed Mount Erebus ,

1066-534: A place on the expedition; author Campbell Mackellar; and Guinness baron Lord Iveagh , whose contribution was secured less than two weeks before the departure of the expedition ship Nimrod . On 4 August 1907, Shackleton was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order , 4th Class (MVO; the present-day grade of lieutenant). On 7 August 1907, the Nimrod set sail from England for the start of

1148-599: A politician. In 1905, Shackleton became a shareholder in a speculative company that aimed to make a fortune transporting Russian troops home from the Far East. Despite his assurances to Emily that "we are practically sure of the contract", nothing came of this scheme. He also ventured into politics, unsuccessfully standing in the 1906 General Election as the Liberal Unionist Party 's candidate for Dundee constituency in opposition to Irish Home Rule. In

1230-477: A post as third officer on a tramp steamer of the Welsh Shire Line. Two years later, he had obtained his first mate's ticket, and in 1898, he was certified as a master mariner , qualifying him to command a British ship anywhere in the world. In 1898, he joined Union-Castle Line , the regular mail and passenger carrier between Britain and South Africa. One of his shipmates recorded that Shackleton

1312-800: A project that had been announced, and then abandoned, by the British explorer William Speirs Bruce , for a continental crossing via the South Pole, starting from a landing point in the Weddell Sea and ending in McMurdo Sound. Bruce had failed to acquire financial backing, and was happy for Shackleton to adopt his plans, which were similar to those being followed by the German explorer Wilhelm Filchner who had left Bremerhaven in May 1911; in December 1912,

1394-699: A regular commission in the Royal Navy via the back-door route of the Supplementary List. Despite the sponsorship of Markham and William Huggins , the president of the Royal Society , his application was unsuccessful because the list was closed. The Admiralty suggested that he could be promoted to Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve if he qualified, but he chose to resign his RNR commission the following year. Instead, he became

1476-620: A safe base at the Barrier Inlet, and an extended search for an anchorage at King Edward VII Land proved equally futile. Shackleton was forced to break the undertaking he had made to Scott, and the Nimrod set sail for McMurdo Sound; according to second officer Arthur Harbord, this decision was "dictated by common sense" in view of the difficulties of ice pressure, coal shortage and the lack of any alternative base known to be close at hand. The ship arrived at McMurdo Sound on 29 January, but

1558-646: A similar poll exclusively voted upon by members of the black British community, with Mary Seacole being named the greatest black Briton for her actions during the Crimean War with Russia . The inclusion of Queen Philippa of Hainault on the list was criticised, as historians dispute that she was "black" in any modern sense. She was of predominantly European ancestry, with remote Armenian ancestry on her father's side, and Cuman ( Turkic /Asian) ancestry on her mother's side. A report written by Bishop Walter Stapledon in about 1319 describes either Philippa (then

1640-548: A temporary post assisting the outfitting of the Terra Nova for the second Discovery relief operation, but turned down the offer to sail with her as chief officer. He also assisted in the equipping of the Argentine Uruguay , which was being fitted out for the relief of the stranded Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Otto Nordenskjöld . In search of more permanent employment in 1903, Shackleton applied for

1722-475: A winter station. Endurance drifted slowly northward with the ice through the following months. When spring arrived in September, the breaking of the ice and its later movements put extreme pressure on the ship's hull. Shackleton had been hoping that the ship, when released from the ice, could work her way back towards Vahsel Bay, but his hopes were dashed on 24 October when water began pouring in. After

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1804-448: Is conjecture that Scott's motive for removing him was resentment of Shackleton's popularity, and that ill-health was used as an excuse to get rid of him. Years after the deaths of Scott, Wilson and Shackleton, the expedition's second-in-command Albert Armitage claimed that there had been a falling-out on the southern journey, and that Scott had told the ship's doctor that "[if] he does not go back sick he will go back in disgrace". There

1886-642: Is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton", paraphrasing what Apsley Cherry-Garrard had written in a preface to his 1922 memoir The Worst Journey in the World . In 2002, Shackleton was voted eleventh in a BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons . Shackleton was born on 15 February 1874, in Kilkea , County Kildare, Ireland. His father, Henry Shackleton, tried to enter the British Army , but his poor health prevented him from doing so; instead he became

1968-541: Is no corroboration of Armitage's story. Shackleton and Scott remained on friendly terms, at least until the publication of Scott's account of the southern journey in The Voyage of the Discovery . While in public they appeared mutually respectful and cordial, according to biographer Roland Huntford , Shackleton's attitude to Scott turned to "smouldering scorn and dislike"; salvage of wounded pride required "a return to

2050-676: The Parliament of England ; Oliver Cromwell , who created a republican British state (the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland ); Richard III , suspected of murdering his nephews; James Connolly , an Irish nationalist and socialist who was executed by the Crown due to his part in the 1916 Easter Rising ; Thomas Paine , who wrote against the British crown before and during the American Revolution ; John Lydon ,

2132-574: The Royal Geographical Society , and had been many years in preparation. Led by Robert Falcon Scott , a Royal Navy torpedo lieutenant lately promoted commander, the expedition had objectives that included scientific and geographical discovery. Although Discovery was not a Royal Navy unit, Scott required the crew, officers and scientific staff to submit to the conditions of the Naval Discipline Act, meaning that

2214-590: The Union Steamship Company to share the cost. In accordance with Shackleton's promise to Scott, the ship headed for the eastern sector of the Great Ice Barrier, arriving there on 21 January 1908. They discovered that the Barrier Inlet had expanded to form a large bay, containing hundreds of whales, and they immediately christened it the "Bay of Whales". The ice conditions were found to be unstable, making it impossible to establish

2296-600: The "Great Southern Journey", as Wild called it. On 9 January 1909, they reached a new Farthest South latitude of 88°23′ S, a point 112 miles (180 km) from the Pole. En route, the South Pole party discovered the Beardmore Glacier , named after Shackleton's patron, and the four men became the first persons to see and travel on the South Polar Plateau. Their return journey to McMurdo Sound

2378-558: The Antarctic . His wife Emily later recorded: "The only comment he made to me about not reaching the Pole, was 'a live donkey is better than a dead lion, isn't it?' and I said 'Yes darling, as far as I am concerned,' and we left it at that." In 1910, Shackleton made a series of three recordings using an Edison phonograph , in which he briefly described the expedition. In 2010, several (mostly intact) cases of whisky and brandy that had been left behind in 1909 were recovered for analysis by

2460-472: The Antarctic and an attempt to outdo Scott". After a period of convalescence in New Zealand, Shackleton returned to England via San Francisco and New York. As the first significant person to return from the Antarctic, he found that he was in demand; in particular, the Admiralty wished to consult him about its further proposals for the rescue of Discovery . With Sir Clements Markham's blessing, he accepted

2542-563: The Antarctic coast, via Madeira , Cape Town and New Zealand, on 9 January 1902. After landing, Shackleton took part in an experimental balloon flight on 4 February. He also participated, with the scientists Edward A. Wilson and Hartley T. Ferrar , in the first sledging trip from the expedition's winter quarters in McMurdo Sound , a journey which established a safe route on to the Great Ice Barrier . Confined to

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2624-745: The Antarctic with the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition in 1921 but died of a heart attack while his ship was moored in South Georgia. At his wife's request, he remained on the island and was buried in Grytviken cemetery. The wreck of Endurance was discovered just over a century after Shackleton's death. Away from his expeditions, Shackleton's life was generally restless and unfulfilled. In his search for rapid pathways to wealth and security, he launched business ventures which failed to prosper, and he died heavily in debt. Upon his death, he

2706-549: The British Antarctic Expedition, reaching New Zealand at the end of November. After some final preparations, the expedition set off from Lyttelton Harbour on 1 January 1908, heading for the Antarctic. Shackleton had originally planned to use the old Discovery base in McMurdo Sound to launch his attempts on the South Pole and South Magnetic Pole, but before leaving England, he had been pressured into giving Scott an undertaking not to base himself in

2788-530: The McMurdo area, which Scott was claiming as his own field of work. Shackleton reluctantly agreed to seek out winter quarters at either the Barrier Inlet —which he had briefly visited in 1902 on Discovery —or King Edward VII Land . To conserve coal, the ship was towed 1,650 miles (2,655 km) by the steamer Koonya to the Antarctic ice, after Shackleton had persuaded the New Zealand government and

2870-590: The RGS about this in February 1910. Any future resumption by Shackleton of his quest for the South Pole depended on the results of Scott's Terra Nova Expedition , which had sailed from Cardiff on 15 June 1910. By early 1912, the world was aware that the pole had been conquered by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen, but the fate of Scott's expedition was not then known. Shackleton's mind turned to

2952-647: The Royal Geographical Society his plans for an Antarctic expedition, the details of which, under the name British Antarctic Expedition , were published in the RGS newsletter, Geographical Journal . The aim was the conquest of both the geographical South Pole and the South Magnetic Pole . He then worked hard to persuade others of his wealthy friends and acquaintances to contribute, including Sir Philip Lee Brocklehurst , who subscribed £2,000 (equivalent to £267,244 in 2023) to secure

3034-502: The black British community that their contribution and history in the United Kingdom were not being sufficiently recognised. A separate three-month survey was conducted among the public, resulting in the publication of 100 Great Black Britons , a list of the 100 greatest black Britons as judged by the British public. In 2004, two years after the 100 Greatest Britons list was voted on, social campaigner Patrick Vernon created

3116-423: The boat journey. Shackleton suffered frostbitten fingers as a result. Elephant Island was an inhospitable place, far from any shipping routes. Rescue by means of a chance discovery was very unlikely, so Shackleton decided to risk an open-boat journey to the South Georgia whaling stations where he knew help would be available. The strongest of the tiny 20-foot (6.1 m) lifeboats, christened James Caird after

3198-453: The continent. Shackleton employed his considerable fund-raising skills to support the expedition, which was financed largely by private donations, although the British government gave £10,000 (equivalent to £1,212,201 in 2023). Scottish jute magnate Sir James Caird donated £24,000, Midlands industrialist Frank Dudley Docker gave £10,000, and tobacco heiress Janet Stancomb-Wills gave an undisclosed but reportedly "generous" sum. There

3280-496: The crew into the lifeboats and to head for the nearest land. After five harrowing days at sea, the exhausted men landed their three lifeboats at Elephant Island , 346 miles (557 km) from where the Endurance had sunk. This was the first time they had set foot on solid ground for 497 days. Shackleton's concern for his men was such that he gave his mittens to photographer Frank Hurley, who had lost his own mittens during

3362-628: The crossing of the continent; meanwhile, a second ship, the Aurora , would take a supporting party under Captain Aeneas Mackintosh to McMurdo Sound on the far side of the continent. This party would be tasked with laying supply depots across the Great Ice Barrier as far as the Beardmore Glacier, the depots holding the food and fuel required to enable Shackleton's party to complete their journey of 1,800 miles (2,900 km) across

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3444-418: The expedition's chief sponsor, was chosen for the trip. Ship's carpenter Harry McNish made various improvements, which included raising the sides, strengthening the keel, building a makeshift deck of wood and canvas, and sealing the work with oil paint and seal blood. 100 Greatest Britons The poll resulted in nominees including Guy Fawkes , who was executed because of his role in the plot to blow up

3526-590: The expedition's ship Discovery was confirmed; on 4 June he was commissioned into the Royal Navy, with the rank of sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve . Although officially on leave from Union-Castle, this was in fact the end of Shackleton's Merchant Navy service. The British National Antarctic Expedition —known as the Discovery Expedition after the ship Discovery —was the brainchild of Sir Clements Markham, president of

3608-404: The expedition's southern journey, a march southwards to achieve the highest possible latitude in the direction of the South Pole. This was not a serious attempt on the Pole, although the attainment of a high latitude was of great importance to Scott, and the inclusion of Shackleton indicated a high degree of personal trust. The party set out on 2 November 1902. Scott later wrote that the march

3690-469: The financial guarantees he had given to backers. Despite his efforts, it required government action, in the form of a grant of £20,000 (equivalent to £2,578,822 in 2023) to clear the most pressing obligations, and it is likely that many of his debts were written off. In the period immediately after his return, Shackleton engaged in a strenuous schedule of public appearances, lectures and social engagements. He then sought to cash in on his celebrity by making

3772-424: The first of two sons; the second, Frank, achieved notoriety as a suspect, later exonerated, in the 1907 theft of the so-called Irish Crown Jewels , which have never been recovered. In 1880, when Ernest was six, his father gave up his life as a landowner to study medicine at Trinity College Dublin , moving his family to the city. Four years later, they left Ireland and moved to Sydenham in suburban London. This

3854-466: The first officer was Lionel Greenstreet . The meteorologist was Leonard Hussey , who was also an able banjo player. Surgeon James McIlroy was head of the scientific staff, which included geologist James Wordie . Alexander Macklin was the second of the two surgeons, also in charge of keeping the 70 dogs healthy. Tom Crean was in more immediate charge as head dog-handler. Other crew included navigator Hubert Hudson , physicist Reginald James,

3936-462: The hardship and danger of the planned voyage, so that he could better narrow down the selection of candidates for his expedition, but no record of any such advertisement has survived and its existence is considered doubtful. Two ships were to be employed: Endurance would carry the main party into the Weddell Sea, aiming for Vahsel Bay from where a team of six, led by Shackleton, would begin

4018-605: The iced-in Discovery throughout the Antarctic winter of 1902, Shackleton edited the expedition's magazine the South Polar Times , a regular publication that kept everyone onboard entertained. According to steward Clarence Hare , Shackleton was "the most popular of the officers among the crew, being a good mixer", though claims that this represented an unofficial rivalry to Scott's leadership are unsupported. Scott chose Shackleton to accompany Wilson and himself on

4100-465: The lead vocalist of the Sex Pistols ; Enoch Powell , a conservative politician; and a surprisingly high ranking of 17th for actor and singer Michael Crawford , the second-highest-ranked entertainer, after John Lennon . Diana, Princess of Wales , was judged to be a greater historical figure than Isaac Newton , William Shakespeare , and Charles Darwin by BBC respondents to the survey. One of

4182-443: The look of them, or after the briefest of interrogations. He loosened some of the traditional hierarchies to promote camaraderie, such as distributing the ship's chores equally among officers, scientists and able seamen. He made a point of socialising with his crew members every evening after dinner, leading sing-alongs, jokes and games. He finally selected a crew of fifty-six ; shared equally, twenty-eight men on each ship. Despite

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4264-537: The meantime, he had taken a job with wealthy Clydeside industrialist William Beardmore (later Lord Invernairn), with a roving commission which involved interviewing prospective clients and entertaining Beardmore's business friends. He was, by this time, making no secret of his ambition to return to Antarctica at the head of his own expedition. Beardmore was sufficiently impressed with Shackleton to offer financial support, but other donations proved hard to come by. Nevertheless, in February 1907, Shackleton presented to

4346-497: The more controversial figures to be included on the list was the occultist Aleister Crowley . His works had a direct influence on the rise in popular occultism and some forms of Neopaganism in the 20th century. In addition to the Britons, some notable non-British entrants were listed, including two Irish nationals, the philanthropic musicians Bono and Bob Geldof . Of the top 20 entries 16 were people of English origin. Elizabeth I

4428-518: The most active Antarctic volcano. On returning home, Shackleton was knighted for his achievements by King Edward VII . After the race to the South Pole ended in December 1911, with Roald Amundsen 's conquest, Shackleton turned his attention to the crossing of Antarctica from sea to sea, via the pole. To this end, he made preparations for what became the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917. The expedition

4510-426: The news arrived from South Georgia that Filchner's expedition had failed. In Shackleton's own words, the transcontinental journey was the "one great main object of Antarctic journeyings" remaining, and now open to him. In December 1913, Shackleton published details of his new expedition, grandly titled the "Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition". There is a legend that Shackleton posted an advertisement emphasising

4592-661: The outbreak of the First World War on 3 August 1914, Endurance was directed by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill , to "proceed", and left British waters on 8 August. Shackleton delayed his own departure until 27 September, meeting the ship in Buenos Aires . On setting sail for South Georgia at the end of October, he sent a cablegram to the Daily Chronicle , conveying

4674-586: The patriotic message: "We hope in our small way to add victories in science and discovery to that certain victory which our nation will achieve in the cause of honor and liberty." While Shackleton led the expedition, Captain Frank Worsley commanded the Endurance and Captain Aeneas Mackintosh the Aurora . On the Endurance , the second-in-command was the experienced explorer Frank Wild, and

4756-600: The period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration . Born in Kilkea , County Kildare, Ireland, Shackleton and his Anglo-Irish family moved to Sydenham in suburban south London when he was ten. Shackleton's first experience of the polar regions was as third officer on Captain Robert Falcon Scott 's Discovery Expedition of 1901–1904, from which he was sent home early on health grounds, after he and his companions Scott and Edward Adrian Wilson set

4838-549: The return journey, Shackleton had by his own admission "broken down" and could no longer carry out his share of the work. He later denied Scott's claim in The Voyage of the Discovery , that he had been carried on the sledge . He was in a severely weakened condition; Wilson's diary entry for 14 January 1903 reads: "Shackleton has been anything but up to the mark, and today he is decidedly worse, very short-winded, and coughing constantly, with more serious symptoms which need not be detailed here, but which are of no small consequence

4920-470: The ship and expedition were run on Royal Navy lines. Shackleton accepted this approach, even though his own background and instincts favoured a different, more informal style of leadership. His particular duties were listed as: "In charge of sea-water analysis. Ward-room caterer. In charge of the holds, stores, and provisions [...] He also arranges the entertainments." Discovery departed from London's East India Docks on 31 July 1901, arriving at

5002-403: The ship moved southward navigating in ice , she encountered first-year ice , which slowed progress. Deep in the Weddell Sea, conditions gradually grew worse until, on 19 January 1915, Endurance became frozen fast in an ice floe . On 24 February, realising that they would be trapped until the following spring, Shackleton ordered the abandonment of the ship's routine and her conversion to

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5084-493: The ship. The other main accomplishments of the British Antarctic Expedition included the first ascent of Mount Erebus , and the discovery of the approximate location of the South Magnetic Pole, attained by Edgeworth David , Douglas Mawson and Alistair Mackay on 16 January 1909. Shackleton returned to the United Kingdom as a hero, and soon afterwards published his account of the expedition, The Heart of

5166-447: The situation was discovered, so Blackborow was allowed to join the crew and assigned to the ship's galley. There was a (male) cat onboard, named Mrs Chippy , that belonged to the carpenter Harry McNish. Mrs Chippy was shot when the Endurance sank, due to the belief that he would not have survived the ordeal that followed. Endurance departed from South Georgia for the Weddell Sea on 5 December 1914, heading for Vahsel Bay. As

5248-601: The supposed degeneration of the British race. One does not believe that we have lost all sense of admiration for courage [and] endurance". The heroism was also claimed by Ireland: the Dublin Evening Telegraph 's headline read "South Pole Almost Reached by an Irishman", while the Dublin Express spoke of the "qualities which were his heritage as an Irishman". Shackleton's fellow polar explorers expressed their admiration; Roald Amundsen wrote, in

5330-445: Was "a combination of success and failure". They reached a record Farthest South latitude of 82°17′ S, beating the previous record established in 1900 by Carsten Borchgrevink . The journey was marred by the poor performance of the dogs, who rapidly fell sick after their food had become tainted. All 22 dogs died during the march. The three men all suffered at times from snow blindness , frostbite and, ultimately, scurvy . On

5412-531: Was "a departure from our usual type of young officer", content with his own company though not aloof, "spouting lines from Keats or Browning ", a mixture of sensitivity and aggression but not unsympathetic. Following the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899, Shackleton transferred to the troopship Tintagel Castle where, in March 1900, he met Cedric Longstaff, an army lieutenant whose father Llewellyn W. Longstaff

5494-405: Was a race to avoid starvation, and they were restricted to half-rations for much of the duration. At one point, Shackleton gave his one biscuit allotted for the day to the ailing Frank Wild, who wrote in his diary: "All the money that was ever minted would not have bought that biscuit and the remembrance of that sacrifice will never leave me". The party arrived back at Hut Point just in time to catch

5576-471: Was a voracious reader, a pursuit which sparked in him a passion for adventure. He was schooled by a governess until the age of eleven, when he began at Fir Lodge Preparatory School in West Hill, Dulwich , in southeast London. At the age of thirteen, he entered Dulwich College . As a youngster, Shackleton did not particularly distinguish himself as a scholar, and was said to be "bored" by his studies. He

5658-562: Was also appointed a Younger Brother of Trinity House , a significant honour for British mariners. Besides the official honours bestowed on Shackleton, his Antarctic feats were greeted in Britain with great enthusiasm. Proposing a toast to Shackleton at a lunch given in his honour by the Royal Societies Club, Lord Halsbury , a former Lord Chancellor , said: "When one remembers what he had gone through, one does not believe in

5740-434: Was chosen. His father was able to secure him a berth with the North Western Shipping Company, aboard the square-rigged sailing ship Hoghton Tower . Over the next four years at sea, Shackleton learned his trade and visited many parts of the world, forming a variety of acquaintances and learning to associate with people from many different walks of life. In August 1894, he passed his examination for second mate and accepted

5822-404: Was considerable public interest; Shackleton received more than 5,000 applications to join his expedition. At times, his interviewing and selection methods seemed eccentric; believing that character and temperament were as important as technical ability, his questions were unconventional. Physicist Reginald James was asked if he could sing; others were accepted on sight because Shackleton liked

5904-503: Was his earnings from lecture tours. He still harboured thoughts of returning south, even though in September 1910, having recently moved with his family to Sheringham in Norfolk, he wrote to Emily: "I am never again going South and I have thought it all out and my place is at home now." He had been in discussions with Douglas Mawson about a scientific expedition to the Antarctic coast between Cape Adare and Gaussberg , and had written to

5986-483: Was known that stores were cached. After failed attempts to march across the ice to this island, Shackleton decided to set up another more permanent camp (Patience Camp) on another floe, and trust to the drift of the ice to take them towards a safe landing. By 17 March, their ice camp was within 60 miles (97 km) of Paulet Island; however, separated by impassable ice, they were unable to reach it. On 9 April, their ice floe broke into two, and Shackleton ordered

6068-582: Was lauded in the press but was thereafter largely forgotten, while the heroic reputation of his rival Scott was sustained for many decades. Later in the 20th century, Shackleton was "rediscovered", and he became a role model for leadership in extreme circumstances. In his 1956 address to the British Science Association , one of Shackleton's contemporaries, Sir Raymond Priestley , said: "Scott for scientific method, Amundsen for speed and efficiency[,] but[,] when disaster strikes and all hope

6150-482: Was part of a Welsh royal house, Sir Ernest Shackleton and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , were both Anglo-Irish in what is now the Republic of Ireland when all of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, and Alexander Fleming in 20th place was Scottish. Only 13 of the 100 are women. Sixty had lived in the 20th century. The highest-ranked living person was Margaret Thatcher , placed 16th. Ringo Starr

6232-522: Was partly in search of better professional prospects for the newly qualified doctor, but another factor may have been unease about the family's Anglo-Irish ancestry, following the 1882 assassination by Irish nationalists of Lord Frederick Cavendish , the British Chief Secretary for Ireland . However, Shackleton took lifelong pride in his Irish roots and frequently declared that he was "an Irishman". From early childhood, Shackleton

6314-494: Was quoted later as saying: "I never learned much geography at school [...] Literature, too, consisted in the dissection, the parsing, the analysing of certain passages from our great poets and prose-writers ... teachers should be very careful not to spoil [their pupils'] taste for poetry for all time by making it a task and an imposition." In his final term at the school, he was still able to achieve fifth place in his class of thirty-one. Shackleton's restlessness at school

6396-488: Was stopped by ice 16 miles (26 km) north of Discovery ' s old base at Hut Point . After considerable weather delays, a base was eventually established at Cape Royds , about 24 miles (39 km) north of Hut Point. The party was in high spirits, despite the difficult conditions; Shackleton's ability to bond with his crew kept the party happy and focused. On 29 October 1908, Shackleton and three companions— Frank Wild , Eric Marshall and Jameson Adams —set off on

6478-602: Was struck by disaster when its ship, Endurance , became trapped in pack ice and finally sank in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica on 21 November 1915. The crew escaped by camping on the sea ice until it disintegrated, then by launching the lifeboats to reach Elephant Island and ultimately the South Atlantic island of South Georgia , enduring a stormy ocean voyage of 720 nautical miles (1,330 km; 830 mi) in Shackleton's most famous exploit. He returned to

6560-468: Was such that he was allowed to leave at sixteen and go to sea. One option was a Royal Navy officer cadetship in the Britannia at Dartmouth , but this was too expensive, and Shackleton passed the upper age limit of fourteen and a half in 1888. Alternatives were the mercantile marine cadet ships Worcester and Conway , or an apprenticeship "before the mast" on a sailing vessel. This third option

6642-633: Was the main financial backer of the British National Antarctic Expedition then being organised in London. Shackleton used his acquaintance with the son to obtain an interview with Longstaff senior, with a view to obtaining a place on the expedition. Impressed by Shackleton's keenness, Longstaff recommended him to Sir Clements Markham , the expedition's overlord, making it clear that he wanted Shackleton accepted. On 17 February 1901, his appointment as third officer to

6724-476: Was the only member of the Beatles not on the list. Isambard Kingdom Brunel occupied the top spot in the polls for some time thanks largely to "students from Brunel University who have been campaigning vigorously for the engineer for weeks." However, a late surge in the final week of voting put Churchill into first place. There were no black Britons voted on the list, prompting consternation from members of

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