BYRD, RICHARD EVELYN ), American naval officer, explorer, and scientist, was born in Winchester, Va., Oct. 24, 1888. After attending the Shenandoah Valley Military Academy, the Virginia Military Institute 0904-07), and the Uni versity of Virginia (1907-08), he entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1908, graduating in 1912. In 1917 he was ordered to the air station at Pensacola, Fla., for training as an aviator. Receiving his wings in 1918, he was advanced to the temporary rank of lieut. commander and given command of two U.S. naval air bases in Canada, which he directed throughout the World War. In 1919 he was detailed in charge of navigational preparations for the Navy's first trans-Atlantic flight, accompanying the squadron of NC flying boats on the first two legs of the flight. In 1925 he commanded the naval unit of the Navy-MacMillan expedition to Greenland.
In 1926 he made the first aeroplane flight to the North Pole. Taking off from King's bay, Spitsbergen, at 12:50 A.M., May 9, with Floyd Bennett as co-pilot, he reached the pole at 9:02 A.M., circled it several times, and returned to his base. He next at tempted a flight from New York to Paris. On June 29, 1927, he took off from Roosevelt field, L.I., with a crew of two, a passenger, Boo pounds of pay-load, and the first official trans-Atlantic air mail. Reaching Paris in a driving rain with zero visibility he found it impossible to land on Le Bourget field. He headed for the coast and brought the plane down in the surf at Ver-sur-Mer. The flight covered approximately 4,200 miles and was made in 42 hours, 6 minutes.
An expedition to the Antarctic was Byrd's next effort. It left America in Sept. 1928, reaching Antarctica in December. A base camp, named Little America, was established on the Bay of Whales in the Ross sea. While pursuing a comprehensive program of ex ploration and scientific research, he conditioned a tri-motored aeroplane for a flight to the South Pole. At 3:29 P.M. Nov. 28, 1929, accompanied by a crew of three, he took off. At 1:14 A.M. November 29, the plane reached the pole—the first aeroplane to penetrate to the earth's southermost point. Before his return to the United States, Congress, by special act, advanced him to the rank of rear admiral, retired.
In 1933 Admiral Byrd led his second expedition to Antarctica. Little America was again the base of operations. In March he took up a vigil at Bolling Advance Weather Base, a 9x13-foot hut buried in the snow 123 miles south of Little America, to re main alone throughout the six-months winter night, making weather observations and collecting auroral data. He assumed the post himself because he would not order any of his men to this dangerous, but necessary, duty. On May 28 he was overcome by monoxide poisoning, the result of continued breathing of fumes thrown off by an improvised oil stove and a small gasoline engine. Critically ill, he concealed his desperate situation from his men at the base, choosing to die rather than send out an SOS endangering the lives of any of his comrades who might attempt to reach him during the Antarctic night. His solitary fight for survival was ended on August i r by the arrival of a meteor-observation party headed by Dr. Thos. C. Poulter, his second-in-command.
In May 1935, the expedition returned to America. The admiral was greeted by President Roosevelt, and presented with an illumi nated scroll carrying a special resolution of Congress expressing the country's appreciation of his achievements.
In 1936 he announced his intention to devote the major portion of his time, barring two years which he reserved for further ex ploration, to the promotion of better international co-operation. Admiral Byrd has been honoured with 17 degrees from colleges and universities, holds more than 75 medals for contributions to human progress, and has 21 citations on his naval record.