Contrary to Fact-free flat earth spam,
James Cook explored the vast ocean and did much more than circumnavigate Antarctica.
Polar circumnavigation is complete navigation around Earth through both the North Pole and the South Pole.
Several parties have successfully done it, and it is only possible if Earth is a sphere.
November 14-17, 1965, Capt. Fred Lester Austin, Jr. and Harrison Finch took off from Honolulu, the United States,
to circumnavigate the Earth through both the poles.
Route: Honolulu, United States – North Pole – London, England – Lisbon, Portugal – Buenos Aires, Argentina – South Pole – Christchurch, New Zealand – Honolulu, United States.
In 1977, PanAm Flight 50 circumnavigated the Earth through the North and South Pole to celebrate PanAm’s 50th anniversary.
Route: San Francisco, United States – North Pole – London, England – Cape Town, South Africa – South Pole – Auckland, New Zealand – San Francisco, United States.
In 1979, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Charles R. Burton set out from Greenwich, England, to the South Pole, and then headed north to the North Pole and back to Greenwich. The Guinness Book of World Records records this journey as the first surface polar circumnavigation.
Route: Greenwich, England – Cape Town, South Africa – South Pole – Auckland, New Zealand – Sydney, Australia – Los Angeles, United States – Vancouver, Canada – Yukon River, Canada – North Pole – Greenwich, UK.
In 1988-1989, Dick Smith circumnavigated the globe through both poles using a Twin Otter plane.
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On 7 February 2017, at 22:50 UT, Mike Horn completed the longest ever solo, unsupported north-to-south traverse of Antarctica from the Princess Astrid Coast (lat -70.1015 lon 9.8249) to the Dumont D'urville Station (lat -66.6833 lon 139.9167) via the South Pole. He arrived at the pole on 9 January 2017. A total distance of 5100 km was covered by utilising kites and skis in 57 days.