In 1914, Ernest Shackleton and his crew sailed for the Antarctic in the vessel Endurance. Not long into their voyage, they encountered polar pack ice and progress slowed to a stop. The Endurance was within 200 miles of her destination when the ship became beset, and as the wind compressed the ice in the Weddell Sea against land, the Endurance was slowly crushed to death and the men forced to abandon her. How Shackleton managed to reach South Georgia and arrange for the rescue of his crew remains one of the greatest survival stories of all time. The incredible resilience of the crew of the Endurance, and of Shackleton himself, is one of my favorite historical accounts because it serves as a reminder to us all: when things look bleakest, not all is lost.
