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Tom Crean (1877-1938) was an Irish seaman and Antarctic explorer from County Kerry. He left the family farm near Annascaul to enlist in the Royal Navy at the age of fifteen. In 1901, while serving on HMS Ringarooma in New Zealand, he volunteered to join Scott's 1901-04 British National Antarctic Expedition on Discovery, thus beginning a distinguished career as an explorer during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. After the Discovery Expedition, he joined Scott's 1911-13 Terra Nova Expedition, which saw the race to reach the South Pole lost to Roald Amundsen, and ended in the deaths of Scott and his polar party. During this expedition, Crean's 56 km solo walk across the Ross Ice Shelf to save the life of Edward Evans led to him receiving the Albert Medal. His third Antarctic venture was the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition on Endurance led by Ernest Shackleton, in which he served as Second Officer. His contributions to these expeditions earned him three Polar Medals, and a reputation as a tough and dependable polar traveller. (more...)

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March 17: Saint Patrick's Day

• 624 - History of Islam: The Muslims of Medina defeated the Quraysh of Mecca in Badr, present-day Saudi Arabia, a victory that has been attributed to divine intervention or the genius of Muhammad.
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• 1969 - Golda Meir (pictured) became the first female Prime Minister of Israel.
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