In 1819, a British merchant accidentally discovered the first land ever found south of 60 degrees
Blown off course by a gale in 1819, Captain William Smith accidentally stumbled upon the South Shetland Islands, marking the first time land was ever discovered south of the 60th parallel.
In February 1819, the merchant brig Williams was navigating around Cape Horn when fierce winds forced Captain William Smith deep into the Southern Ocean. While trying to regain his course, he spotted a rugged coastline that was not on any map.
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