When did we explore the deep sea?
Deep-sea exploration
guess the exact year of key moments in deep-sea exploration.
From a ship measuring the seafloor to vehicles carrying people into the deepest ocean, each round gives you a milestone. Guess its year and see how close you get.
Five rounds. Each guess scores according to how close you are to the exact year.
Open the timeline and reveal the answers
This list reveals the years of the game's five milestones.
- 1872: HMS Challenger departs Portsmouth on its scientific expedition.
- 1934: Beebe and Barton descend 3,028 feet in the Bathysphere.
- 1960: Piccard and Walsh reach Challenger Deep in Trieste.
- 1964: Alvin is commissioned at Woods Hole.
- 2012: James Cameron makes a solo descent to Challenger Deep.
context
Before you play
The HMS Challenger expedition gathered measurements and samples that helped establish modern oceanography. The Bathysphere, Trieste and Alvin then offered different ways to bring observers beneath the surface; DEEPSEA CHALLENGER later carried a person back to Challenger Deep.
significance
Why this collection matters
The history of deep-sea exploration connects measurement, direct observation and sample collection. Ordering these milestones shows how the questions researchers could ask about the seafloor changed over time.
guide
Moments that shaped this story
The HMS Challenger scientific expedition and its ocean measurements.
Beebe and Barton's Bathysphere record and Trieste's descent to Challenger Deep.
Alvin's commissioning and James Cameron's solo descent.
questions
Before you start
1How do I play this collection?
Place each milestone on the timeline. You can estimate the year even if you do not remember the exact date.
2How did the Bathysphere differ from Trieste?
The Bathysphere was lowered from a ship by cable; Trieste was a bathyscaphe that reached Challenger Deep.
transparency
Sources consulted
Automated verification · 2026-10-24T07:03:22.899Z · version 1.