| 1910 |
|
Knud Rasmussen founds Thule Station at Cape York as base for expeditions
|
| 1917 |
January 25 |
United States purchases the Danish West Indies (present day U.S. Virgin Islands)
and declares that it has no objection "to the Danish Government extending their
political interest to the whole of Greenland" - Great Britain and Sweden also
recognize Danish claims
|
| 1920 |
|
52 Norwegian whalers operating in Greenlandic waters - hunt produces an average of
60,000 kroner per ship
|
| 1921 |
July 2 |
The Danish Foreign Ministry informs the Norwegian Government that it considers the
whole island of Greenland to be a part of its colonial empire by virtue of a 1776
ordinance
|
|
Summer |
King Christian X becomes the first Danish monarch to visit Greenland - Danish
National Museum’s Noerlund Expedition discovers Norse graves dating from 885
to 1400 at Ikigait
|
|
November 5 |
Norway rejects Danish claims in Greenland which could be interpreted as extending the trade monopoly at the expense of Norwegian enterprises which had here to fore operated without interference
|
| 1924 |
July 9 |
Denmark and Norway sign a treaty recognizing Norwegian economic rights along the east coast of Greenland between Lindenow fjord at 60 degrees 27 minutes north latitude and 81 degrees north latitude with the exception of the District of
Angmagssalik
|
|
Summer |
Danes transfer west coast Inuit to a new settlement at Scoresby Sound on the northeast coast hoping to counter sovereignty claims established by Norwegian hunters - Governor Petersen and 6 Danes accompany 40 Greenlanders to the new settlement and oversee the construction of the colony’s housing
|
| 1925 |
Summer |
90 Inuit from the Angmagssalik District moved to Scoresby Sound
|
| 1926 |
Summer |
Danes construct a meteorological observatory and physical sciences laboratory at
Godhavn - Noerlund Expedition discovers foundations of a Norse cathedral and
bishop’s palace c. 1000 at Ivigo - Expedition led by Greenlander Lauge Koch
conducts a geologic survey of the Scorseby Sound region
|
| 1927 |
|
Danish weather station at Angmagssalik broadcasts weather reports throughout the year
- Norwegian weather station at Mybutket (73 degrees 30 minutes) relays weather reports
to a radio transmitter on Jan Mayen Island during the fishing season
|
|
Summer |
Koch Expedition discovers fossils indicating that Greenland once had a tropical
climate - University of Michigan’s Hobbs Expedition establishes a weather station
at the head of Kangendlugsdak Fjord
|
| 1930 |
|
British and German expeditions explore eastern and central Greenland to determine the feasibility of establishing a transatlantic air route linking Europe and the Americas via the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland
|
| 1931 |
|
Denmark asks the Permanent Court of International Justice at the Hague to adjudicate
its dispute with Norway regarding the northeast coast of Greenland
|
|
June |
Party of 5 Norwegian hunters lands at Myggbutka and lays claim to the region in the
name of King Haakon
|
|
June 31 |
Danish expedition under Lauge Koch sail for Greenland with orders to establish
Danish sovereignty over the disputed region
|
|
July 10 |
Norway proclaims that it has annexed the east coast of Greenland between 71degrees
30minutes and 75degrees 45minutes north latitude - Norwegian Foreign Minister
Graadland describes the annexation as "purely technical" and intended to strengthen
its case in the "future proceedings at the Hague"
|
|
July 13 |
Denmark asks the Permanent Court to declare Norway’s actions null and void
|
|
August 20 |
The Icelandic Parliament authorizes that country’s cabinet to intervene in the
Danish - Norwegian dispute to safeguard Icelandic claims in Greenland
|
|
August 21 |
A 60 foot high memorial shaft marking the starting point of Robert Peary’s alleged
trek to the North Pole dedicated at Cape York by Peary’s daughter Marie
|
|
September 8 |
Lauge Koch returns to Copenhagen and reports the discovery of coal deposits in
Vochstetter Fjord (occupied by the Norwegians) but no oil
|
|
Summer |
Norwegian Adolf Hoel and two students cross the Greenland ice cap by dog sled -
the journey begins at Umanak on the east coast and covers a 1000 miles route to the
west coast - A Danish expedition led by Knud Rasmussen surveys 2500 miles of
coastline between Julianhaab and Angmagssalik
|
| 1932 |
July 12 |
Norway annexes and occupies the east coast between 61degrees 30minutes and
63degrees 45minutes north latitude - Denmark submits the new dispute to the
Permanent Court
|
|
July 15 |
Lauge Koch sails from Copenhagen with orders to establish Danish sovereignty in
the disputed region - Koch’s 90 man expedition is equipped with 5 ships and
airplanes
|
| 1933 |
April 5 |
Permanent Court of International Justice rules in favor of Denmark - Norway
withdraws 5 men sent to administer "Eric the Red’s land"
|
| 1937 |
December 20 |
Port of Faeringhaven on the southwest coast opened to international trade until
October 31, 1941
|
| 1938 |
February |
Annual fur auction conducted by the Greenlands Trading Company in Copenhagen
nets 750,000 kroner
|
| 1940 |
April 9 |
Germany invades Denmark trade and communication with Greenland cut
|
|
April 10 |
The Danish Minister to Washington meets with President Roosevelt - Greenland
declared a part of North America subject to the Monroe Doctrine - FDR proclaims
vital U.S. interest in keeping Greenland free from German control
|
|
May 1 |
U.S. State Department announces the establishment of consulate at Godthaab
|
|
May 3 |
Greenland’s local administrative councils meet in Godhavn and vote to assume
powers the Danish Government can no longer exercise - the councilors reaffirm their
allegiance to King Christian X and request United States protection
|
|
May 10 |
United States Consul James K. Penfield and Vice-consul George West sail for
Greenland aboard CGC Comanche - Canadian Government appoints a consul to
Greenland
|
|
June |
U.S.C.G. cutters Campbell, Duane and Cayuga take soundings and make preliminary
charts of Greenland’s coastal waters (most of the existing charts are held in German
occupied Denmark)
|
|
July |
American Red Cross official sent to investigate Greenland’s food supply reports that the
island’s stores will last several months
|
|
July 9 |
Eske Brun, Governor of Northern Greenland, arrives in New York to negotiate a trade
agreement with the United States
|
|
September |
Brun announces agreement to trade $1,000,000 worth of Greenlandic products for
American supplies
|
|
October 9 |
United States suspends tonnage duties on Greenlandic products
|
|
November 1 |
Norwegian warship Fridtjof Nansen seizes a German ship carrying 50 armed
men who planned to seize a weather station in Greenland and supply advance
forecasts to the Luftwaffe.
|
| 1941 |
March |
South Greenland Survey Expedition made up of American diplomats, military commanders and a representative of the Royal Canadian Air Force leaves Boston aboard U.S.C.G. cutter Cayuga - Expedition is to locate sites for airfields, weather stations and other military installations - Expedition ordered to avoid contact with Greenlanders - 13 potential sites identified - Narsarssuak reported most promising
|
|
March 27-28 |
German bombers sighted over Greenland’s east coast - sightings interpreted
as evidence that weather reports are being transmitted from the island to the
Luftwaffe
|
|
April 9 |
An agreement signed by Secretary of State Hull and Danish Minister to Washington,
Hendrik Kauffman establishes an American protectorate over Greenland for the
duration of the European war.
|
|
May |
U.S.C.G. cutter Modoc carries the representative of a Pennsylvania cryolite importer to
the mine at Ivigtut - the mine is the sole source of cryolite (a mineral used to extract
alumina from bauxite ore)
|
|
May 18 |
U.S.C.G. cutters Northland and Modoc respond to distress call from convoy being attacked by U-boats off Cape Farewell - search for survivors yields floating debris and empty life-rafts
|
|
May 24 |
U.S.C.G. cutter Modoc sights airplanes from HMS Victorious in midst of bombing
German battleship Bismarck - HMS Prince of Wales and cruisers HMS Suffolk and
HMS Norfolk join the attack - British squadron fires salvo towards U.S.C.G.C.
Modoc before British realize mistake
|
|
June |
The Greenland Patrol organized under the command of Edward H. "Iceberg" Smith - purposes; to support the U.S. Army in establishing airfields in Greenland from which planes can be ferried to Great Britain, to defend Greenland and to prevent German operations in northeastern Greenland
|
|
June |
U.S. Army Engineers begin ferrying troops and equipment from Argentia Naval Base,
Newfoundland to Bluie West 1 airfield site Narsarssuak, Greenland
|
|
September |
Army Engineers complete 85 buildings and 3 miles of road at Narsarssuak -
civilian contractor begins construction of Bluie West 1 airfield
|
|
September 4 |
Destroyer USS Greer torpedoed in Greenlandic waters en route to Iceland
|
|
September 12 |
Greenland Sledge Patrol reports landing at entrance to Franz Joseph Fjord -
U.S.C.G.C. Northland stops and boards trawler Buskoe which is flying
Norwegian flag - crew admits dropping off German landing party and radio-
transmitter - 12 man landing party from Northland captures 3 Germans and
their codebook - prisoners returned to Boston for internment
|
|
December |
The Greenland Patrol acquires 10 New England fishing trawlers to operate in
shallow waters and support navigational aid stations
|
| 1942 |
August 27 |
German ship "Sachsen" anchors at the Sabine-island. A landing party sets up a
weather station, code "Holzauge".
|
|
September 30 |
U.S.C.G.C. Storis commissioned - first of four Coast Guard vessels specially
designed to serve as supply ships for the Bluie West airfields
|
|
November 11 |
Construction of LORAN (long range aids to navigation) station begins at
Fredericksdaal on the southwest coast of Greenland
|
|
November 28 |
Amphibious plane attached to CGC Northland rescues 2 crewmen of a B-17
that crashed on the ice pack - Northland’s patrol plane crashes on a return trip
to the crash site - remaining B-17 crew members rescued several weeks later
|
|
December 31 |
Wooden buildings of the Fredericksdaal construction camp blown away in a
165mph gale - replace with Quonset huts buried in trenches
|
| 1943 |
February 2
12:55 a.m. |
American troopship SS Dorchester sunk by U-233, 150 miles off
Greenland - CGC Escanaba and Comanche rescue 299 survivors - 605 of the
passengers and crew including the ship’s chaplains Rabbi Alexander Goode,
Father John Washington, Reverend George Fox and Reverend Clark Poling who
gave their lifejackets to others, go down with ship
|
|
March 11 |
Fredericksdaal LORAN station becomes operational
|
|
March 13 |
Greenland Sledge Patrol encounters German landing party of the "Sachsen". One Danish member, Eli Knudsen, is killed, the other two members are captured but manage to escape.
|
|
May |
Greenland Sledge Patrol encounters German landing party on east coast - a Danish member of the sledge patrol captures a German officer and marches him 300 miles American custody - CGC Northland and North Star carrying a party of 26 American soldiers, 3 Danish guides and 40 sled dogs sent to locate the Germans base - American bombers led by Colonel Bernt Balchen destroy the German weather station on Sabine Island and the "Sachsen" - landing party captures a surviving German officer. The rest of the crew hides until they are returned to Germany via plan a month later, carrying with them the dogs captured in the skirmish.
|
|
June 13 |
CGC Escanaba torpedoed by U-boat while escorting a convoy from Argentia Naval
Base, Newfoundland to Bluie West 1- the cutter sinks in 3 minutes - 101 of 103
crewmen lost
|
|
August 6 |
U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Bombing Squadron 6 begins operations from Bluie West 1
with a dozen PBY-5A Catalinas
|
|
August |
The "Coburg" is send to set up another weather station, code "Baßgeiger".
The ship is unable to land, but works as swimming station. Though the
general position is known to the US Coast Guard, they are unable to
locate the ship.
|
|
September |
U.S. Coast Guard cutters reach German weather station - station was deserted but
one lost German technician was captured
|
|
November 11 |
"Iceberg" Smith promoted to Rear Admiral - Commodore Earl Rose takes
command of the Coast Guard’s Greenland Patrol
|
|
December 16 |
American freighter SS Nevada sunk - CGC Comanche rescues 29 survivors
|
| 1944 |
February 13 |
Patrol plane from Bluie West 1 locates British trawler HMS Strathella west of
Cape Farewell one month after the ship was disabled by a damaged shaft
bearing - Strathella’s radio transmitter burned up - CGC Modoc dispatched to
rescue Strathella’s crew who are close to starvation
|
|
April 22 |
The Greenland Sledge Patrol discovers a German camp at Cape Sussi on the northern tip of Shannon Island.
It is weatherstation "Baßgeige", established by the "Coburg". In the ensuing fight the
German commander is killed before the Sledge Patrol retreats.
|
|
June |
The crew of the weather station "Baßgeige" and Coburg are evacuated via plane.
|
|
July |
U.S. Coast Guard cutters Northland and Storis set out to supply the Sledge Patrol -
Northland arrives at Shannon Island finds the German base deserted - remains of the
155 foot German trawler Coburg found crushed in the ice 4 miles off Cape Sussi
|
|
September 1 |
Northland sights German trawler "Kehdingen", with weather station "Edelweiß",
off Great Koldewey Island - German
trawler stopped by ice after a 7 ½ hour chase - trawler scuttled - crew takes to
the lifeboats - 8 officers and 20 enlisted men captured - Northland damaged -
icebreakers Eastwind and Southwind and tender Evergreen sent to tow crippled
cutter back to Boston
|
|
October 4 |
Air patrol reports suspicious activity on Little Koldewey Island (800 miles south of
the North Pole) - Eastwind lands 2 platoons of sailors - German weather station
"Edelweiß II" located and destroyed - 3 German officers and 9 enlisted men captured
|
|
October 15 |
Air patrol sights German trawler "Externsteine" 15 miles off Cape Bergen
|
|
October 16 |
CGC Eastwind captures "Externsteine" and 32 crew members - "Externsteine" is the
only German surface vessel captured at sea by United States forces during the
Second World War
|
| 1947 |
May |
Denmark requests renegotiation of terms of American military presence in Greenland
|
| 1949 |
May 25 |
Colonel Bernt Balchen lands at Thule Airbase after circling the North Pole en route
from Fairbanks, Alaska making him the first person to pilot an aircraft over both
poles
|
| 1951 |
|
Operation Blue Jay - United States Air Force constructs in northernmost base at Thule
|
| 1953 |
|
Greenland made an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark
|
