Wednesday 12 August 2026Before 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 Svalbard Treaty
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
The timeline by era
Svalbard