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The dangerous race for the South Pole - Elizabeth Leane

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TEDEd Animation

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By the early 1900’s, nearly every region of the globe had been visited and mapped, with only two key locations left: the North and South Poles. After two Americans staked claim to reaching the North Pole, a Norwegian explorer and a British naval officer each set out for the last unmapped region in what newspapers called a “Race to the Pole.” Elizabeth Leane sets the scene for their journeys south.

Why do you think people were so eager to reach the South Pole when there was really nothing there but ice?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Elizabeth Leane
  • Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Animator Denis Bousygin, Alex Bohdan, Anna Dolzhenko
  • Illustrator Denis Bousygin
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Fact-Checker Laura Shriver
  • Composer Stephen LaRosa

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