Charles Wilkes


Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Wikipedia.
Charles Wilkes
Birthday
BirthplaceNew York City, New York
Died
Known for United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842. Trent Affair

Wilkes, Charles

 

Born Apr. 3, 1798, in New York; died Feb. 8,1877, in Washington, D.C. American explorer.

In 1838, Wilkes was put in command of a general expedition to explore Oceania and the area around Antarctica. The expedition began by surveying some 260 islands in Polynesia, including three previously unknown islands in the Phoenix and Tokelau groups. In 1840, while searching for the the south magnetic pole, Wilkes sighted land near the antarctic circle at 162° E long. He thereupon made his way westward along the edge of the ice pack for more than 2,700 km to 98° E long., later suggesting that he had traveled along the coast of the Antarctic mainland. This section of Antarctica is now called Wilkes Land. In 1841 the expedition explored part of the Columbia River basin in North America. It returned to the United States in 1842.

WORKS

Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, vols. 1–5. Philadelphia, 1845.

REFERENCES

Treshnikov, A. F. Istoriia otkrytiia i issledovaniia Antarktidy. Moscow, 1963.
Svet, Ia. M. Istoriia otkrytiia i issledovaniia Avstralii i Okeanii. Moscow, 1966.
Tyler, D. B. The Wilkes Expedition. Philadelphia, 1968.
The Pacific Basin: A History of Its Geographical Exploration. New York, 1967.
S. N. KUMKES
Mentioned in ?
References in periodicals archive ?
Charles Wilkes, later Rear Admiral Wilkes, is best remembered for his naval career at sea, including his work on the Expedition and during the Civil War.
Charles Wilkes was responsible for writing eight of the twenty-four volumes: the five Narrative volumes, Meteorology, Hydrography, and Physics.
Publishing the U.S. exploring expedition: the fruits of the glorious enterprise
Missouri has a cap on the number of casinos in the state and to get it lifted they'll need the help of rich and powerful local Charles Wilkes (Darren Goldstein).
In deep
1838 - US Exploring Expedition headed by Charles Wilkes departs for Pacific Ocean and Antarctica.
Today's the day
An early reference to tobacco bags and pouches "worked prettily in beads" with "usually several long tails" (very probably octopus bags) comes from Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, when describing the voyageurs' attire at Fort Vancouver, the Hudson's Bay Company outpost on the Columbia River, founded in 1824-25, during his visit in 1841.
Some observations of plateau floral beadwork
In 1861, an overzealous Union naval Captain, Charles Wilkes, overtook the British steamer RMS Trent and captured its passengers: John Mason and John Slidell, new Confederate commissioners to Europe.
A World on Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War
1840: American Charles Wilkes discovered the coast of Antarctica - or more likely rediscovered, since several plausible claims have been made for previous expeditions and sealing ships from 1820 onwards.
ON THIS DAY IN ..
In succeeding years, as Russian, British and French explorers saw land beyond the ice in longitudes all around the Antarctic Circle, confidence grew, but the first to nail his colours to the mast was an American, Charles Wilkes. He declared that he had found 'the Antarctic continent' and he was right.
Incognita: the incredible shrinking continent
Charles Wilkes, who led the Antarctic expedition from 1838 to 1842 that resulted in the discovery that Antarctica is a separate continent.
Arlington Cemetery story steeped in history; Author to give lecture at FSU
Some cultural materials collected by explorer Charles Wilkes in an around-the-world expedition in 1838-1842Auincluding species of coral and insectsAuare still used.
100 years later, evolution continues for SmithsonianAAEs Natural History Museum
Exploring Expedition vessels, under the overall command of Charles Wilkes, during their voyages in that area of the Antarctic coast that Wilkes later labeled the Antarctic Continent.
South by Northwest: The Magnetic crusade and the contest for Antarctica
Charles Wilkes, is best known for discovering Antarctica, and he holds an honored place in history for sighting land on Jan.
Swashbuckling explorer was no diplomat

Encyclopedia browser ?
Full browser ?