Richard E. Byrd

Intelligent and handsome, Richard Evelyn Byrd was born in 1888, the son of an influential Virginia lawyer. He entered the United States Naval Academy at age 20 and was commissioned in 1912. Interested in polar exploration as a boy, he was appointed navigator for the proposed transpolar flight of the Navy's dirigible "Shenandoah" from Alaska to Spitzbergen in 1924. When the flight was canceled by Pres. Coolidge, Byrd began to organize his own Navy flight expedition to the Arctic. He ultimately joined forces with the MacMillan Expedition to northwest Greenland, which was sponsored by the National Geographic Society, in 1925. He completed the first flights over Ellsmere Island and the interior of Greenland. Byrd was a gifted aviator and an explorer at heart. His first Antarctic expedition (1928-30) established the Little America base; Byrd, with Bernt Balchen, made that first historic flight over the South Pole (Nov. 28-9, 1929). Igloo was the spunky fox terrier who became famous when he accompanied Byrd on his first Antarctic expedition. The little dog, formerly a stray, accompanied his master on the trip to the Arctic as well. When the beloved Igloo, nicknamed "Iggy" by Byrd, died in 1931, children from all over the world sent letters of condolence. Byrd made four more expeditions to Antarctica for exploration and mapping. He became an international hero, and during his lifetime received numerous awards: 22 citations and special commendations, 9 of which were for bravery and 2 for extraordinary heroism in saving the lives of others. Other medals included the Congressional Medal of Honor, Congressional Life Saving Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Flying Cross, and Navy Cross. His explorations accounted for the discovery of hundreds of thousands of square miles of territory which were claimed for the United States. He published several accounts of his experiences, which were avidly read by an adoring public.