Longyearbyen · 78.22 N 15.63 E

Svalbard Wire

Est. 2026

Everything said about Svalbard, in one place

Thursday 13 August 2026Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59

Daylight on 13 August: all 24 hours, midnight sun. Midnight sun, all 24 hours. The sun sets again 25 August.

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.

History

The island's past

This week in history, 14 August

1925

Norway takes over

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

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