Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03

1912 in Great Britain

Explore 785 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1912.

Build a year factsheet Browse all countries Browse by event

Historical records for Great Britain in 1912

Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 785 unique records.

785Unique records

1 of 20Page

23Named events on this page

10Named people on this page

6Places on this page

January

3 January 1912

Final Polar Party

Bowers, Henry Robertson · Polar Plateau · Storekeeper · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Is added to Scott's final polar party.

3 January 1912

Final Polar Party

Evans, Edgar · Polar Plateau · Expedition Seaman · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Continues south with Scott's final party.

3 January 1912

Final Polar Party

Oates, Lawrence Edward Grace · Polar Plateau · Army Officer · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Continues with Scott toward the South Pole.

3 January 1912

Final Polar Party

Scott, Robert Falcon · Polar Plateau · Expedition Leader · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Chooses a five-man party for the final polar march.

3 January 1912

Final Polar Party

Wilson, Edward Adrian · Polar Plateau · Zoologist · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Continues south with Scott's final polar party.

4 January 1912

Bowers Joins Final Polar Party

Bowers, Henry Robertson · Polar Plateau · Lieutenant · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Scott adds Bowers to the final group of five continuing toward the South Pole.

4 January 1912

Final Polar Party Selection

Evans, Edgar · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Scott announces his decision: five men (Scott, Edward Wilson, H. R. Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans) would go forward to the South Pole.

4 January 1912

Final Polar Party Selection

Oates, Lawrence · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Scott announces his decision: five men (Scott, Edward Wilson, H. R. Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans) would go forward to the South Pole.

4 January 1912

Final Polar Party Selection

Scott, Robert Falcon · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Scott announces his decision: five men (Scott, Edward Wilson, H. R. Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans) would go forward to the South Pole.

4 January 1912

Final Polar Party Selection

Wilson, Edward Adrian · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Scott announces his decision: five men (Scott, Edward Wilson, H. R. Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans) would go forward to the South Pole.

4 January 1912

Last Support Party Return

Evans, Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell · Polar Plateau · Second in Command · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Turns back with Crean and Lashly from 87 degrees south.

4 January 1912

Last Support Party Return

Lashly, William · Polar Plateau · Expedition Seaman · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Begins the difficult return with Evans and Crean.

4 January 1912

Last Supporting Party Begins Return

Evans, Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell · Polar Plateau · Second in Command · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Evans leads Crean and Lashly north after Scott orders the final supporting party to turn back.

4 January 1912

Last Supporting Party Begins Return

Lashly, William · Polar Plateau · Expedition Seaman · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Lashly starts the long return journey with Edward Evans and Crean after the final polar party is selected.

4 January 1912

Last Supporting Party Return

Evans, Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell · Polar Plateau · Second in Command · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Evans starts the return journey with Lashly and Crean after the last supporting party is dismissed from the southbound expedition.

4 January 1912

Last Supporting Party Turnback

Evans, Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Evans, Lashly and Crean turn north on 4 January, about 160 miles from the Pole, while Bowers remains with Scott's final party.

4 January 1912

Last Supporting Party Turnback

Evans, Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Scott orders Evans and the Last Supporting Party to turn back. Evans is physically exhausted after hauling a loaded sledge for much of the southward journey.

4 January 1912

Last Supporting Party Turnback

Lashly, William · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

William Lashly joins Edward Evans and Tom Crean in the last supporting party ordered to turn back before Scott's final advance to the Pole.

4 January 1912

Last Supporting Party Turns Back

Evans, Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell · Antarctic Plateau · Second in Command · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Turns north with Crean and Lashly as the last supporting party.

4 January 1912

Northern Party Transfer South

Campbell, Victor Lindsey · Cape Adare · Northern Party Leader · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Campbell's Northern Party leaves Cape Adare aboard Terra Nova for a second season of geological work farther south.

4 January 1912

Return from Polar Plateau

Evans, Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell · Antarctic Plateau · Second in Command · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

The three begin a difficult return journey toward Hut Point.

8 January 1912

Admiralty Planning Reform

Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer · London · First Lord of the Admiralty · Government / Liberal Party Government

Improves centralized planning for intelligence, operations and mobilization.

8 January 1912

Evans Coves Geological Camp

Campbell, Victor Lindsey · Evans Coves · Northern Party Leader · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Campbell establishes the Northern Party at Evans Coves for a planned six-week programme of geological and glaciological exploration.

8 January 1912

Naval War Staff Established

Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer · London · First Lord of the Admiralty · Government / Liberal Party Government

Establishes a Naval War Staff within the Admiralty.

16 January 1912

Norwegian Flag Sighted

Bowers, Henry Robertson · Polar Plateau · Lieutenant · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Bowers spots a dark marker ahead, leading the party to discover clear evidence that Amundsen has preceded them.

17 January 1912

Amundsen Tent Found

Scott, Robert Falcon · South Pole · Expedition Leader · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

The party discovers that Amundsen's Norwegian team arrived first.

17 January 1912

South Pole

Scott, Robert Falcon · South Pole · Captain · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Reaches the South Pole and finds that Amundsen's Norwegian party has arrived first

17 January 1912

South Pole

Wilson, Edward Adrian · South Pole · Doctor · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Stands with Scott, Oates, Bowers and Evans at the South Pole after the Norwegian party has already departed

17 January 1912

South Pole Arrival

Bowers, Henry Robertson · South Pole · Lieutenant · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Bowers reaches the South Pole as a member of Scott's five-man polar party.

17 January 1912

South Pole Arrival

Evans, Edgar · South Pole · Petty Officer · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Edgar Evans reaches the South Pole with Scott's five-man party after the Norwegian expedition.

17 January 1912

South Pole Arrival

Oates, Lawrence Edward Grace · South Pole · Army Officer · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Oates reaches the South Pole with Scott's party and learns that Amundsen has won the race.

17 January 1912

South Pole Arrival

Scott, Robert Falcon · South Pole · Expedition Leader · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Reaches the South Pole after Amundsen's party.

17 January 1912

South Pole Arrival

Wilson, Edward Adrian · South Pole · Chief Scientist · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Wilson reaches the South Pole with Scott, Bowers, Oates and Edgar Evans after the Norwegians have already arrived.

17 January 1912

South Pole Reached

Scott, Robert Falcon · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Scott's five-man party reaches the South Pole on 17 January 1912 and discovers that Roald Amundsen's Norwegian party has arrived first.

17 January 1912

South Pole Reached

Scott, Robert Falcon · South Pole · Expedition Leader · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Reaches the South Pole with Wilson, Bowers, Oates and Edgar Evans.

18 January 1912

Amundsen Tent Inspected

Scott, Robert Falcon · South Pole · Expedition Leader · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Scott examines Amundsen's tent and the records left by the Norwegian polar party before turning north.

18 January 1912

Norwegian Camp Confirmed

Bowers, Henry Robertson · South Pole · Polar Expedition Member · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

The British team confirms the Norwegian expedition's earlier arrival.

18 January 1912

Norwegian Tent

Scott, Robert Falcon · South Pole · Expedition Leader · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Finds Amundsen's tent and evidence of Norwegian success.

18 January 1912

Polar Records Examined

Bowers, Henry Robertson · South Pole · Polar Expedition Member · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

Examines evidence left by Amundsen's party at the South Pole.

18 January 1912

Return from South Pole Begins

Scott, Robert Falcon · Exploration / Exploration and Discovery

The Polar Party begins the roughly 800-mile return journey from the South Pole on 18 January.

← Previous year All years for Great Britain Next year →

How these records were prepared

Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.