Scott, Robert Falcon (1868-1912), a British explorer and naval officer, became the first person to reach the South Polar plateau. He reached it on an expedition that took place from 1901 to 1904. On Dec. 30, 1902, Scott reached a latitude of approximately 82 degrees 17 minutes, about 520 miles (840 kilometers) from the true South Pole. The latitude reached by Scott was the farthest south that anyone had then gone.