Charles Lindbergh did not
discover any new lands, but he is important because he
was one of the first men to explore the possibilities and
limits of the airplane. His historic flight across the
Atlantic helped to make air travel an accepted way of
transportation.
Lindbergh was born in Detroit and
lived his childhood in Little Falls, Minnesota. Charles
learned how to fly at age 20.
In 1926 he heard of a $25,000 prize
offered for the first person to fly solo across the
Atlantic Ocean. Lindbergh wanted to try, and some St.
Louis businessmen sponsored him and helped him accomplish
just that.
On May 20, 1927, Charles left Long
Island in his airplane, the Spirit of St. Louis. He
arrived in Paris on May 21, after flying over Ireland and
England. When he landed at Le Bourget Airport in Paris,
he was mobbed by excited Parisians. He had flown 5,800 km
in 33 1/2 hours. Charles returned home to America and
another hero's welcome.
