Richard E. Byrd

Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957), popularly referred to by his rank as Admiral Byrd, was a United States naval officer and navigator known for his expeditions and flights over the poles and Antarctic regions. His 1926 claim to have flown over the North Pole netted a promotion to commander but was subject to dispute in later decades. Fully confirmed is his 1929 flight over the South Pole which began a series of expeditions into Antarctica. The first South Pole exploration resulted in Byrd's promotion again, to rear admiral.
==References==
* The Sesame Street comic strip character Richard E. Bird, introduced in 1971, is punningly named after Richard E. Byrd.
* The Sesame Street 1976 Calendar notes Admiral Byrd's flight over the South Pole, depicting penguins waving to him while a polar bear complains about the traffic.
* On Sesame Street in 1981, Diana Ross finds Big Bird depressed, as he's been reading about another bird, Admiral Byrd, who was the first to fly over the South Pole. She sings "Believe in Yourself" to encourage him. The script says "North Pole," but that feat was already subject to debate and the episode as aired uses the South Pole instead.
* Big Bird's great-grandfather is Admiral Albatross Bird, as seen in a photo in Episode 3606. While the albatross and seagoing aspects reference The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Big Bird reacts to the photo with "Admiral Bird? I think I've heard of him."
==See also==
* "Admiral Bird" - a song performed by Big Bird
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Category:Historical References