Ernest Shackleton always loved adventure, even as a young boy. His father was a farmer, who went back to school to become a doctor so he could better take care of their large family. They moved from Ireland to London, England. Ernest was teased by other kids for his Irish accent, but laughed it off. He always defended other children.

 

At the age of 16 he became a seaman apprentice. His first big break as an explorer came when he tried to reach the South Pole with Robert Scott. Shackleton fell ill and had to be sent back. He did not think Scott was a good leader who sent him back unnecessarily. 

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He soon funded his own expedition. He and his men made it 97 miles from the South Pole when they had to turn back. They made it farther than anyone else who had attempted to reach the South Pole. 

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Shackleton still wanted to reach the South Pole, but Roald Amunsden realized Shackleton's dream of becoming the first to make it to the South Pole in 1912. Shackleton thought of a new goal, Shackleton decided he wanted to now be the first to make it across the continent of Antarctica. 

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Shackleton and his crew of 27 men left on the Endurance in 1914. The ship becomes trapped in ice and the men embark on one of the most miraculous stories of survival ever told. Their ship sinks, they have to live on the ice for months and sail in open lifeboats in some of the roughest seas on earth. Shackleton finally makes if from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island. After three years, Shackleton and his men all return to England alive. 

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He tried to maintain a normal life, but did not adjust well. He craved more adventure, so he planned a new expedition called the Quest. Sadly, he died of a heart attack and his appropriately buried on South Georgia Island.