Wednesday 5 February 2025Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59
Polar night, day 103 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, 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, Discovery and whaling
1596
The Dutchman Willem Barentsz discovered Spitsbergen in 1596. He named the land after the sharp, jagged peaks he saw. The name Svalbard is older and appears in Icelandic annals for 1194.
History Store norske leksikon
The timeline by era
Svalbard