November 17

In November 1820, twenty-one-year-old sea captain Nathaniel Palmer, commanding the sloop Hero on a sealing expedition, sighted the icy shores of Antarctica. This voyage placed Palmer among the earliest explorers to confirm the existence of the southern continent. Braving treacherous waters and icebergs, his crew documented land sightings along the Antarctic Peninsula. The newly discovered region was named the Palmer Peninsula in his honor, cementing his legacy in polar exploration. Palmer's achievement contributed to the era's growing scientific interest in uncharted territories and laid the foundation for future Antarctic expeditions.

On November 17, 1990, the Fugendake vent of Mount Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture resumed eruptive activity after a period of dormancy. Geologists had been closely monitoring the volcano due to previous deadly eruptions in the early 1790s and later in 1991. The 1990 activity involved ash plumes and minor pyroclastic flows that prompted precautionary evacuations of nearby villages. Local authorities and scientific teams collaborated to track seismic signals and gas emissions, issuing warnings to residents. The event underscored the importance of volcano surveillance and emergency preparedness in a densely populated area. Although no major casualties occurred this time, Mount Unzen’s restless behavior would culminate in further destructive eruptions the following year.