Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen

1778 – 1852

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen was a Russian admiral, cartographer, and explorer of Baltic German descent who led the first Russian circumnavigation of Antarctica from 1819 to 1821. On 27 January 1820 his expedition sighted the Antarctic continent, making him one of the first humans to lay eyes on the southern landmass. His meticulous charts and observations of Pacific and Antarctic waters significantly advanced 19th-century geographic and oceanographic knowledge.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM