On this day in 1821, the first recorded person set foot on Antarctica. John Davis, an American seal hunter from Connecticut was searching the South Shetland Islands for seals. He went ashore at Hughes Bay, becoming the first to arrive on the continent.

Or Was it the French? Others believe that in 1840, Frenchman Jules-Sébastien-César Dumont d'Urville became the first person to set foot on Antarctica, stating that Davis was unsure as to whether he landed on the continent or a nearby island. Others believe it was whalers who first set foot on Antarctica in the late 1800's. d'Urville discovered a stretch of Antarctic coastline which he named after his wife, Adélie.

Cook Saw It First! English explorer Captain James Cook had sailed near Antarctica when he circumnavigated the globe in the late 18th century.

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind? There were no further recorded sightings of Antarctica until January of 1820. Russian Thaddeus von Bellingshausen sighted Antarctica from a distance. Later that year, American Captain Nathaniel Palmer discovered the Antarctica peninsula later named Palmer's Peninsula.

Mine, Mine, Mine. During the next century, many nations, including the United States, made claims to portions of the almost inhabitable continent. In 1959, the Antarctic Treaty made Antarctica an international zone, set guidelines for scientific cooperation, and prohibited military operations, nuclear explosions, and the disposal of radioactive waste on the continent.

Where and What is Antarctica? A continent located at the southern-most point of the globe. Millions of years ago, scientists believe that this landmass was attached to a giant landmass called Gondwanaland, consisting of South America, India and Africa. Powerful internal earth forces ripped a large piece of land from this giant landmass, which then drifted to its current location at the bottom of the earth. It is surrounded on all sides by oceans ~ the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic. Antarctica covers about 5,400,000 square miles, making it bigger than either Europe or Australia