Some areas of Antarctica actually have a very livable climate. The Antarctic Peninsula, for example, has some areas that are quite a bit warmer than Longyearbyen, Svalbard (in the arctic ocean).
There are permanent research stations, of course. But nobody stays more than a year or two. There is at least one industry in the area, fishing, which should be able to support at least a few towns. If nothing else, why doesn't someone decide to spend their life there, just to be the first?
There is a set of agreements called the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) which designates Antarctica as a scientific preserve. There are 53 nations which are signatories to the ATS, so anyone attempting permanent settlement would likely face significant opposition from the member nations. Though I must admit, I'm not sure what repercussions (if any) are mandated by the treaty.
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Technically, there has. Depending on what you count as Antarctica, there are either one or two permanent civilian settlements there. The smaller of the two, Esperanza Base, is an Argentinian settlement home to 55 people located near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The second is Villa Las Estrellas, with a population of between 80-150 Chileans on King George Island just off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.