Charles Lindbergh
1902–1974 · Aviator who made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic in 1927.
Charles Lindbergh was born in Detroit and grew up in Little Falls, Minnesota, the son of a congressman. He left college to learn to fly, worked as a barnstorming stunt pilot, trained as an Army reserve pilot, and flew airmail between St. Louis and Chicago. In 1927 he competed for the Orteig Prize of 25,000 dollars, offered for the first nonstop flight between New York and Paris. With backing from St. Louis businessmen, he had a single-engine plane built, the Spirit of St. Louis, packed with fuel tanks so large he could see forward only through a periscope. On May 20–21, 1927, he flew alone for thirty-three and a half hours and landed at Le Bourget field near Paris before a huge crowd. He became one of the most famous people in the world and promoted aviation and air routes. In 1932 his baby son was kidnapped and killed, a crime that shocked the nation. Before World War II he spoke for America First against entering the war, which damaged his reputation; after Pearl Harbor he flew combat missions in the Pacific as a civilian.
Faith: Faith not well documented. Source: Wikipedia
Key dates
- 1927 Solo flight from New York to Paris
- 1932 Kidnapping of his son
- 1941 Speaks for America First
- 1944 Flies combat missions in the Pacific
- 1974 Dies on Maui
Fun facts
- A mountain range in Greenland, the Lindbergh Range, is named after him. (Source: Charles Lindbergh (Wikipedia))
Record-breaker
Firsts and records, worded as the sources give them ("first known", "at the time").
- In 1927 he made the first solo flight across the Atlantic, from New York to Paris, setting a world record for flight distance. (Source: Charles Lindbergh (Wikipedia))
- Time magazine named him its first Man of the Year, for 1927. (Source: Charles Lindbergh (Wikipedia))
More lives
Roald Amundsen · Amelia Earhart · Matthew Henson · Ernest Shackleton