On this day 66 years ago, on December 1, 1959 (November 2, 1959 in the lunar calendar), the Antarctic Treaty was signed. On December 1, 1959, 12 countries including the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, France, Norway, Belgium, Japan, Argentina, Chile and South Africa signed the Antarctic Treaty in Washington, USA. The main contents are: 1. Peaceful use and demilitarization. The treaty stipulates that Antarctica will be used only for peaceful purposes, and all measures of a military nature are prohibited; any nuclear explosions in Antarctica and the disposal of radioactive dust in the area are prohibited. 2. Territorial freezing. Previous claims by countries to the territorial sovereignty and rights of Antarctica, and all acts and activities that took place during the validity of the treaty, shall not make new claims. Among the original and new member states, the countries conducting specific scientific research in Antarctica, meeting regularly on the implementation of the treaty, and ensuring compliance with the provisions of the treaty for the purpose of the treaty, have the right to designate observers to conduct inspections. The treaty entered into force on June 23, 1961, for a limited period of 30 years. By 1983, there were 28 member states participating in the treaty. The member states of the treaty usually meet every two years.