Melissa tore through the Caribbean as one of the most powerful storms in history, slamming Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane earlier this week.

Generations dreamed of reaching the Earth's northernmost point, finally succeeding in 1926. Ahead of the centennial, we remember those who valiantly came before – and failed.

However, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) adds, most of the world's oceans are "completely dark, ...