Lindbergh, Charles

Date of birth: February 4, 1902.

Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan.

Died: August 26, 1974.

Major contribution: First person to fly nonstop and solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross;

Medal of Honor.

f all the heroes of early aviation, Charles Lindbergh was perhaps the most beloved. His nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 made him a hero around the world. Lindbergh made other contributions to the field of aviation, but he also suffered from personal tragedy and controversy.

Early Years

As a child, Charles Lindbergh learned to love the outdoors, became fascinated by machinery, and dreamed about flying. Alhough intelligent, Lindbergh was not a good student. He began attending the University of Wisconsin but left after a few semesters of poor grades.

About the same time, Lindbergh went up in an airplane for the first time. He immediately signed up for lessons. Once he gained a pilot’s license, Lindbergh began flying as a barnstormer (a type of stunt pilot). In 1925, Lindbergh joined the Robertson Aircraft Company of St. Louis, Missouri, which had a contract to carry airmail. Lindbergh flew the St. Louis-to-Chicago route, and the job pro­vided him with superb training. He had

to take his aircraft aloft in all kinds of weather, and he regularly flew after dark.