Richard Byrd’s North Pole Flight

30 artifacts in this set

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On May 9, 1926, explorer Richard Byrd and pilot Floyd Bennett took off from Norway on a round-trip flight to the North Pole in their Fokker Tri-Motor airplane Josephine Ford. Though Byrd is generally credited with reaching the pole, controversy remains over whether he could have made the 1,350-mile journey in the 16 hours he and Bennett spent aloft. Whatever doubts remain today, Byrd was celebrated as a leading polar explorer of his time.

Detailed Description

Richard E. Byrd Using a Sextant, circa 1927

Photographic print

Born in 1888, Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., was defined by determination. When he injured his right ankle while attending the U.S. Naval Academy, Byrd shifted his focus from the sea to the sky. He enrolled in the Navy’s new aviation school and trained as a pilot and navigator. From boyhood, Byrd dreamed of one day exploring the North Pole.