Today is Charles Augustus Lindbergh's (1902 - 1974) birthday. A pioneering American aviator, who was dubbed the
Lone Eagle. In May 1927 he became the first person to fly nonstop and solo from
New York to
Paris, making the trip in 33½ hours in his specially built monoplane, the
Spirit of St. Louis. During the flight he battled
extreme drowsiness, a malfunctioning
compass, and
wing icing. He was well aware that six others had died trying to accomplish this feat. After receiving a tumultuous hero's welcome in Paris, Lindbergh visited several countries on his way home, the last being
England. He stopped at
Buckingham Palace at the invitation of
George V. As they conversed, the king posed numerous questions about the long flight, including one he felt could be asked only in private: "Sir, how did you pee?"
posted by indiebass
on Feb 4, 2005 -
32 comments
Lone Eagle? According to this news story (from Reuters), famed aviator Charles "Lucky" Lindbergh got lucky in Germany in the 1950s--fathering three children with a woman he met there and keeping this double life a complete secret from his other, American, family. If true, this would certainly require a reassessment of Lindbergh's personal life.
posted by Man-Thing
on Aug 2, 2003 -
19 comments
