Richard Byrd

1888- 1957

Explorer

Rear Admiral Richard Byrd was born on October 25, 1888 in Winchester Virginai. He was an acclaimed Naval pilot and explorer who made the first flight over the North Pole in 1926 and the first flight over the South Pole in 1929. Although he achieved a successful trans-Atlantic flight in 1927, he was forced to ditch his plane in the sea on the French coast because of fog. Byrd continued to make contributions to Polar explorations until nearly the end of his life. In 1955-56, he returned for another Antarctic expedition.