The frozen bodies of Robert Scott and his men are found on the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica.

Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912) was a British Royal Navy officer and Antarctic explorer who became one of the most celebrated figures in the history of polar exploration. Born on 6 June 1868 in Devonport, Plymouth, England, Scott joined the Royal Navy at the age of 13 and steadily advanced through its ranks. His career took a dramatic turn in 1899 when he was selected to lead the British National Antarctic Expedition, better known as the Discovery Expedition, which lasted from 1901 to 1904. Although Scott had little previous experience in polar exploration, he demonstrated considerable leadership and determination. The expedition made important scientific discoveries about Antarctica’s geography, geology and wildlife. Scott, accompanied by Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson, also travelled farther south than anyone had previously reached, attaining a latitude of approximately 82°17? south in December 1902. The expedition established Scott’s reputation as a leading Antarctic explorer and helped stimulate British interest in further polar exploration.

In 1910, Scott embarked on his second Antarctic expedition, known as the Terra Nova Expedition, with the ambitious objective of becoming the first person to reach the South Pole. However, he faced competition from the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who was also attempting to reach the Pole. Scott established his main base at Cape Evans on Ross Island and spent much of 1911 preparing supplies, establishing depots and conducting scientific research. His expedition employed a combination of motor sledges, Siberian ponies, dogs and human hauling to transport equipment and provisions across the frozen continent. On 1 November 1911, Scott’s southern journey began, with supporting parties gradually turning back as the expedition advanced. Eventually, five men continued towards the Pole: Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans. After enduring extreme cold, difficult terrain and exhausting physical conditions, the five explorers finally reached the South Pole on 17 January 1912, only to discover that Amundsen and his Norwegian team had arrived there on 14 December 1911, more than a month earlier.

The return journey proved disastrous. Already weakened by their exhausting trek, Scott and his companions encountered exceptionally harsh weather, food shortages and increasing physical deterioration. Edgar Evans, who had suffered injuries and declining health, died on 17 February 1912 near the foot of the Beardmore Glacier. Captain Lawrence Oates, suffering from severe frostbite and struggling to walk, famously left the expedition’s tent during a blizzard on approximately 17 March, apparently sacrificing himself to improve his companions’ chances of survival. His final words, recorded by Scott, were: “I am just going outside and may be some time.” Despite their determination, Scott, Wilson and Bowers became trapped by relentless blizzards and dwindling supplies, just 11 miles (18 kilometres) from a vital food depot known as One Ton Depot. Scott made his final diary entry on 29 March 1912, and all three men died in their tent, probably around that date. Their bodies, along with Scott’s diaries and scientific specimens, were discovered by a search party in November 1912.

The death of Robert Falcon Scott and his companions caused an enormous outpouring of grief throughout Britain and the wider world. When news of the tragedy reached Britain in February 1913, Scott was hailed as a national hero whose courage, endurance and devotion to duty represented the highest ideals of British exploration. His diaries, published as Scott’s Last Expedition, became widely read and helped establish his enduring reputation as a heroic figure. However, later historians and polar experts have questioned some of his decisions, particularly his reliance on man-hauling, the use of ponies, the management of supplies and his approach to transport compared with Amundsen’s successful use of dogs and skis. Others have defended Scott, emphasising the expedition’s considerable scientific achievements and the exceptionally difficult conditions encountered during the return journey. Despite the continuing debate surrounding his leadership, Scott remains one of the most famous figures of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His name is commemorated in numerous geographical features, monuments and scientific institutions, including the British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera research vessel, the RRS Sir David Attenborough’s predecessor, the RRS James Clark Ross, and most notably the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, which honours both men who led the historic race to the South Pole.