Svalbard This week in history, 19 December
2015
Avalanche in Longyearbyen
On 19 December 2015 a large avalanche from Sukkertoppen hit ten houses in Longyearbyen and killed two people.
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Wednesday 20 December 2023Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59
Polar night, day 55 of 112. The sun returns 16 February.
Svalbard Wire starts on 26 October 2026. Pages before that date show the history of the island.
From the timeline, The coal town
1905
Longyear City is founded
Longyearbyen was laid out in 1905 by the American company Arctic Coal Co. It was first called Longyear City, after the company founder John Munro Longyear.
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