Ernest Shackleton was a British explorer who led three expeditions to the South Pole during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His voyages to the South Pole have acquired epic status and he is considered one of Britain's greatest explorers. Shackleton was born on 15 February 1874 in Ireland. His family moved to London where he was educated. He then joined the merchant navy when he was 16. In 1898, he qualified as a master mariner and was keen to explore the poles. In 1901, Shackleton was chosen to go on the Antarctic expedition led by British naval officer Robert Falcon Scott. Shackleton and Scott trekked towards the South Pole, which had yet to be reached by humans, in extremely difficult conditions. They got closer than anyone had come before, but Shackleton fell seriously ill and had to return home. In 1908, Shackleton was able to persuade wealthy backers to fund his own expedition, so he could return to the Antarctic as the leader of his own expedition. The expedition made many important scientific discoveries and set a record by coming even closer to the South Pole than before. The success of the expedition earned Shackleton knighthood on his return to Britain. Shackleton made his third trip to the Antarctic with the ship 'Endurance' in 1914, an expedition that has acquired epic status. The plan was to cross Antarctica via the South Pole but in early in 1915, the ship became trapped in the ice, and ten months later sank. The crew had already abandoned the ship and set off in three small boats, to Elephant Island. From there six crew members including Shackleton and the captain planned to sail to South Georgia to get help. They used a lifeboat across the treacherous seas of the South Atlantic. They managed to reach the island of South Georgia and were able to get help from the Chilean government. In August 1916, the men left behind on Elephant Island were rescued. In the end, Shackleton was able to lead all 27 of his men to safety. After World War I was over, Shackleton organized another expedition, which aimed to circumnavigate the Antarctic continent. But on 5 January 1922 he died of a heart attack off South Georgia and was buried on the island.