This Day in Alaska History-August 8th, 1931


One of the Lindbrgh's many stops on the Tokyo leg of their global journey. Image-Lindbergh.com
One of the Lindbergh’s many stops on the Tokyo leg of their global journey. Image-Lindbergh.com

Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne in their quest to chart a great circle route around the globe, departed New York for Tokyo on July 27th, 1931. Anne had trained extensively for the flight and had received her private license that Spring in New York.

Their intent on the New York to Tokyo leg of their journey was to chart the quickest route to Tokyo for future commercial flights. their twin-engine Lockheed Sirius, typically a wheeled aircraft was outfitted with pontoons for the journey, because of the difficult terrain and vast stretches of water they would traverse.

On August 8th, 1931, Lindbergh’s twin-engine Lockheed Sirius touched down in Barrow. There they took their first dogsled ride and made a speech at the village’s schoolhouse.

After taking off from Barrow, the duo headed south for Nome but encountered dense fog and had to touch down at Shishmaref

Newspapers reported that the “Lindys Lost in Arctic Sea.” The weather soon cleared and several hours later, the aviators landed in Nome’s Safety Bay.

After many hours and stops, they arrived in Tokyo on August 26th, 1931.

That was only one of the many stops that they took as they made their way across Asia to Europe and beyond.