Charles Lindbergh

                                                                   Charles Lindbergh
                                                       

The claim to fame for this particular pilot was his non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean from May twentieth to twenty-first in 1927,  Charles Lindbergh was the first man to make this flight non-stop in the history of the world. This groundbreaking flight would earn Lindbergh the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Flying Cross, awards which only helped to illustrate the significance of his accomplishment. Lindbergh's flying career earned him nicknames such as "Lucky Lindy" and "Lone Eagle" and he did this all with the help of his famous plane, The Spirit of St. Louis.  Other monumental flights decorated Lindbergh's flight record such as executing the first solo non-stop flight from Washington D.C. to Mexico City.However, Charles Lindbergh was much more than just one successful flight across the Atlantic, he was a conservational activist, voiced his opinion on the war, a family man, and scientist, aiding the United States and the world in their quest for a brighter future. Charles Lindbergh used his travels and the subsequent fame that accompanied them to help him gain traction in regards to environmental conservation. Some of the endangered species that he advocated for were the humpback whales, blue whales, tortoises, and the eagles. Later in his life, Lindbergh's conservation efforts were focused on saving the environment in the Philippines, one of the countries he flew to in his many travels. Charles Lindbergh also used his fame to speak out against World War Two. He was against the voluntary conscription of soldiers for this war and so when he later changed his mind regarding the war the government refused to let him join the army. However, in the Pacific War Lindbergh flew in over fifty combat missions, serving his country and attempting to make up for his previous statements. Lindbergh's family was quite unique, his personal life was rocked by tragedy when his first son was kidnapped and murdered. During the time between the kidnapping and the discovery of his child's body Lindbergh was offered help from Al Capone to help find the child, but he refused. His wife Anne Morrow was also a pilot and even accompanied Lindbergh on some of his flights. She served as his co-pilot and radio operator. One of the flights that she went on includes a flight in 1931 during which she and her husband flew from the United States to Japan and China. Charles' life was filled with a plethora of different interests, work, and an intriguing home life, but one of the most interesting facts about Lindbergh is that he helped to create on of the first artificial hearts. This rudimentary version of those that we have today was made of Pyrex glass and could pump air and blood the same way that an actual heart could, outside of the body so that infection would not occur. So, Charles Lindbergh was the poster child for the perfect American, a hero, not only in the realm of flight but in the realm of science, helping to push the United States further into the twentieth century.


Sources
- http://www.charleslindbergh.com/history/
-http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/10-fascinating-facts-about-charles-lindbergh