Tuesday 12 August 2025Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59
Midnight sun, all 24 hours. The sun sets again 25 August.
Svalbard Wire starts on 26 October 2026. Pages before that date show the history of the island.
This week in history, 14 August
1925
Norway formally took over sovereignty on 14 August 1925. Of 74 reported property claims, 40 were approved, spread over 17 companies and private persons, covering 4223 square kilometres.
History Store norske leksikon
From the timeline, The coal town
1916
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani was founded in 1916 and took over the properties of the American Arctic Coal Company at Adventfjorden and Sassenfjorden. In 1934 it also took over Swedish property at Van Mijenfjorden, including Sveagruva.
History Store norske leksikon
The timeline by era
Svalbard