Longyearbyen · 78.22 N 15.63 E

Svalbard Wire

Est. 2026

Everything said about Svalbard, in one place

Sunday 23 November 2025Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59

Daylight on 23 November: none, polar night, day 28. Polar night, day 28 of 111. The sun returns 15 February.

Polar night, day 28 of 111. The sun returns 15 February.

Svalbard Wire starts on 26 October 2026. Pages before that date show the history of the island.

History

The island's past

From the timeline, The modern town

1975

The airport opens

Before 1975 Svalbard and Longyearbyen were linked to the mainland by boat for up to seven months of the year. Svalbard Airport opened in 1975 at Hotellneset, west of the town.

History Store norske leksikon

The timeline by era

  1. 1596Discovery and whaling, 3 entries
  2. 1715Hunting and expeditions, 4 entries
  3. 1905The coal town, 6 entries
  4. 1920The Svalbard Treaty, 4 entries
  5. 1941War and rebuilding, 4 entries
  6. 1975The modern town, 3 entries
  7. 2015The present transition, 6 entries

Open the history of Svalbard, 30 entries in 7 eras