On 16 August 1897, Belgica departed Antwerp, Belgium for the Antarctic, with a crew of 23 led by Belgian explorer Adrien de Gerlache. Belgica crossed the Antarctic Circle on 15 February 1898​​, but got stuck in the pack ice. It took a full year of effort to get unstuck, but by 14 March 1899 they were free. They returned to Belgium to great fanfare.

Wiencke Island is named after Carl August Wiencke (1877–1898), a Norwegian sailor who was washed overboard and drowned on the way to Antarctica.​

Photo from NOAA Photo Library: http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/corp2838.htm. "The BELGICA anchored at Mount William. In: "Resultats du Voyage du S. Y. BELGICA en 1897-1898-1899 .... Rapports Scientifiques ... Travaux Hydrographiques et Instructions Nautiques" by G. Lecointe, 1903. P. 110. Plate XI. "

Text from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Antarctic_Expedition and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RV_Belgica_(1884)