Richard E. Byrd

Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, USN (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an pioneering American polar explorer and famous aviator.

Attempt to fly over the North Pole, 1926

On May 9, 1926, Byrd and Floyd Bennett attempted a flight over the North Pole. They claimed to have achieved the pole, however subsequent evidence from their diaries and mechanical analysis of their plane confirmed by the Norwegian-American aviator and explorer Bernt Balchen has cast significant doubt on their claim. Nonetheless, this trip earned Byrd widespread acclaim, enabling him to secure funding for subsequent attempts on the South Pole.

Related Topics:
May 9 - 1926 - Floyd Bennett - Norwegian-American - Bernt Balchen

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