Article Links
There are no links for this article.
Fifty years of ocean exploration
July 18, 2012
The 50th Anniversary of the launch of RRS Discovery was celebrated by over 150 people with a connection to the ship.
A series of talks recalled the scientific achievements of those who sailed on the vessel, and how oceanography and technology have advanced over the years.
The social side of life on board was not forgotten, and Captain Mike Harding gave an eloquent talk on his memories of a ship that shares his birthday.
A pictorial chronology of cruises from her first in 1963 to the present decade formed a display reflecting changes in methods of working at sea, as well as unchanging events such as Crossing-the-Line ceremonies. Material from the National Oceanographic Library’s archive illustrated the early history of the vessel, including a superb cut-away drawing from the Illustrated London News.
Films associated with Discovery from 1963 onwards were also on show. A team from the British Library was here to record interviews for their series on the Oral History of British Science. A booklet on the ship’s 50 years of service was given to all who attended. And, finally, Discovery herself was here.
The small organising committee particularly thanked Aidan Thorn and Adrian Burkett for their enthusiastic and able support.
Full screen version
Download .pdf version (21 Mb)
