A Scandal at the North Pole: The Legend of Richard Byrd
From Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage by Pushkin Industries
June 10, 2026 · 35 min · Season 3 · Episode 4
About this episode
The episode explores the life and controversies surrounding Admiral Richard Byrd, a famous 20th-century explorer who received the Medal of Honor for his North Pole flight.
Admiral Richard Byrd was one of the most famous explorers of the 20th century. He received the Medal of Honor for a risky flight to the North Pole. But soon after his death, the whispers began. Did he actually make it there? Or did he turn back early? Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up and save on the Medal of Honor show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus . Use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription. Connect with the team! Follow Pushkin on social @pushkinpods Follow JR Martinez @iamjrmartinez Follow Meredith Rollins @meredithkrollins Email the team: medalofhonor@pushkin.fm Episode resources: Race to the Top of the World: Richard Byrd and the First Flight to the North Pole by Sheldon Bart (Regnery History Press, 2013) To the Pole: The Diary and Notebook of Richard E Byrd, 1926-1927 edited by Raimund E Goerler (Ohio State University Press, 1998) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Topics covered
- exploration
- Medal of Honor
- North Pole
- Richard Byrd
- scandal
- 20th century history
Keywords
- Richard Byrd
- North Pole
- Medal of Honor
- exploration
- scandal
- 20th century
- flight
Sponsors
Pushkin+
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Pushkin Industries, Apple Podcasts, Ohio State University Press
Books & works: Race to the Top of the World: Richard Byrd and the First Flight to the North Pole, To the Pole: The Diary and Notebook of Richard E Byrd, 1926-1927
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