Thursday 8 February 2024Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59
Polar night, day 105 of 112. The sun returns 16 February.
Svalbard Wire starts on 26 October 2026. Pages before that date show the history of the island.
This week in history, 9 February
1920
The Svalbard Treaty was concluded on 9 February 1920. Negotiations had begun in Paris in 1919 on Norwegian initiative, as part of the peace settlement after the First World War. Before that, Svalbard had been no man's land.
History Store norske leksikon
From the timeline, The present transition
2023
From mid October 2023 the local power plant in Longyearbyen changed from coal to diesel, as a temporary measure until a greener energy source is decided. In the same month the local newspaper, published weekly since 1948, became a monthly paper with a web edition.
History Store norske leksikon
Svalbard