Longyearbyen · 78.22 N 15.63 E

Svalbard Wire

Est. 2026

Everything said about Svalbard, in one place

Thursday 29 January 2026Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59

Daylight on 29 January: none, polar night, day 95. Polar night, day 95 of 111. The sun returns 15 February.

Polar night, day 95 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 present transition

2025

Mine 7 closes

Mine 7 near Longyearbyen, the last Norwegian coal mine, was closed on 30 June 2025. Store Norske then turned to property, logistics and energy.

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