Editing History of Antarctica (section)

===First sighting of the continent (1820)===
{{further|First Russian Antarctic Expedition}}
[[File:Admiral Faddey Faddeyevich Bellingshausen.jpg|thumb|upright|Admiral [[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen]] was one of the first to spot the continent of Antarctica.]]
The first generally recognized sighting of the Antarctic continent was made at a point within {{convert|32|km|mi|abbr=on}} of the [[Princess Martha Coast]] on 27 or 28 January 1820. The Russian expedition led by [[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen]] and [[Mikhail Lazarev]], on the ships ''Vostok'' and ''Mirny''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Discovery of Antarctica |url=https://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/discovery-of-antarctica.php |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=www.coolantarctica.com}}</ref> The discovery was described with the problematic term "materyi led" ({{langx|ru|матёрой лёд}}) which can be translated as "hard ice".

The route of this expedition was eastward, as far south as the ice conditions permitted. Two more observations were made, and then, because of the approach of winter, they proceeded to [[Sydney]]. While in Australia, Bellingshausen wrote a report in which he stated that the southern continent probably did not exist, meaning that he did not consider the earlier observations to be a continent. When ''Vostok'' and ''Mirny'' returned to the Antarctic Circle the following summer, they continued eastward, discovering [[Peter I Island]] and [[Alexander I Island]], although the latter was considered part of the [[Antarctic Peninsula]] until 1940. They then sailed north along the Antarctic Peninsula and reached the South Shetland Islands, where on 5 February 1821, near [[Deception Island]], they encountered ''[[Hero (sloop)|Hero]]'', commanded by [[Nathaniel Palmer]], previously second mate of the ''Hersilia''.

Meanwhile, on 30 January 1820, Edward Bransfield and William Smith sighted [[Trinity Peninsula]], the northernmost point of the Antarctic mainland.