Challenger Deep Shocked Oceanographers First

In 1875, the crew of HMS Challenger accidentally discovered what became known as Challenger Deep, the deepest known point on Earth, during the very first major scientific expedition devoted to oceanography. Baffling winds pushed the ship off its intended route near the Mariana Islands, and that altered path carried it over the undersea canyon. On March 23, 1875, the crew used marked rope to record a depth of 4,475 fathoms, or about 8,184 meters. Later surveys confirmed the area as the deepest known part of the ocean, and it was named after the Challenger expedition.

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