In 1914, the British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition set it to become the first to cross the continent of Antarctica by land.

They did not achieve their goal.

However, in their failure, they ended up becoming one of the greatest stories of perseverance

and of the tenacity of the human spirit.

Learn more about Ernest Shackleton and the rescue of the endurance on this episode of

Everything Everywhere Daily. of everything everywhere daily. Ernest Shackleton was one of the great Polar Explorers in the Golden Age of Polar Exploration.

Born in 1874 in Ireland, he attended college

and served in the British Merchant Marine. He later became a lieutenant in the Royal Navy

Reserve in 1901 and that same year he took part in his first Polar Expedition.

He served as the third lieutenant on the British National Antarctic Expedition under the command

of Robert Scott on the RSS Discovery.

He took part in the Sledgeog Journey to the South Pole and made it all the way to 82

degrees south before he got sick and was sent back home on a supply ship.

He returned to Antarctica in 1907 on the Nimrod Expedition, which was an attempt to become the first humans to reach the South Pole.

Shackleton Anna's team got close, but didn't quite make it.

They got a record by making it to 88 degrees 23 minutes south, just 112 miles or 180 kilometers from the South Pole.

A few years later in 1912, Scott died trying to reach the pole and Norwegian rolled

Admanson finally made it.

For a polar explorer getting to the south pole first was the big prize.

Now that prize had been won and Shackleton needed another goal to chase. He decided to be the first

person to cross the entirety of Antarctica. In fact he decided on this goal almost the

moment he heard of Edmondson's success. His plan was to start near the Weddle Sea east of the Antarctic

...