Monday 4 November 2024Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59
Polar night, day 10 of 112. The sun returns 15 February.
Svalbard Wire starts on 26 October 2026. Pages before that date show the history of the island.
This week in history, 5 November
1962
On 5 November 1962 an explosion in the coal mine at Ny-Ålesund, on the south side of Kongsfjorden on Spitsbergen, killed the whole shift of 21 men. Mining at Ny-Ålesund stopped for good the following year, and criticism of conditions at the state-owned company brought down the Gerhardsen government.
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