Richard E. Byrd

Richard E. Byrd
Richard E. Byrd
	Byrd in 1928
Birth name	Richard Evelyn Byrd 4th
Born	October 25, 1888; Winchester, Virginia, U.S.
Died	March 11, 1957 (aged 68); Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery,; Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1912–1927; 1940–1947
Rank	Rear Admiral
Battles / wars	World War I; World War II
Awards	Medal of Honor; Navy Cross; Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2); Legion of Merit (2); Distinguished Flying Cross; Congressional Gold Medal;
Spouse(s)	Marie Ames Byrd (m. 1915)

Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957), an American naval officer,^[1] was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a segment of the Arctic Ocean, and a segment of the Antarctic Plateau. He is also known for discovering Mount Sidley, the largest dormant volcano in Antarctica.

Byrd claimed to be the first to reach both the North and South Poles by air. However, there is some controversy as to whether or not Byrd was actually the first person to reach the North Pole. It is generally believed that the distance Byrd claimed to fly was longer than the possible fuel range of his airplane.^[2]^[3]

He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration, and the Navy Cross, the second highest honor for valor given by the U.S. Navy.

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^ Bown, Stephen R. (September 14, 2012). The Last Viking: The Extraordinary Life of Roald Amundsen. Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Limited. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-55365-938-9. As for Byrd, the controversy over his flight [over the North Pole] was to come in the following years, when the true distance he claimed to have flown was calculated to have been unrealistically far for that type of airplane and that duration of flight.
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[2] Bown, Stephen R. (September 14, 2012). The Last Viking: The Extraordinary Life of Roald Amundsen. Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Limited. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-55365-938-9. As for Byrd, the controversy over his flight [over the North Pole] was to come in the following years, when the true distance he claimed to have flown was calculated to have been unrealistically far for that type of airplane and that duration of flight.

[ElWZQ-3] Cite error: The named reference ElWZQ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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