Bathyscaphe Trieste reached a record depth of 35,800 feet

This week, filmmaker and adventurer James Cameron made history when he became the first person to log a solo dive to the world's deepest point, shining a crucial spotlight on the field of ocean exploration.

The first-ever dive to the deepest spot on Earth happened more than 50 years ago, when, on January 23, 1960, the Bathyscaphe Trieste reached a record depth of 35,800 feet in the Challenger Deep, in the Mariana Trench off Guam -- the deepest point in any of the world's oceans.

Seen here being hoisted from the water by a crane barge during testing by the Naval Electronics Laboratory in San Diego, Calif., Trieste was being prepared for transportation to the Marianas Islands.

As ocean exploration becomes popular, we take a look a some of the coolest, and most unique personal submarines ever.