Charles Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, and social activist. He could also be considered a famous entrepreneur for his time. His name is one of the more popular names in the 1920s.
He is best known for his solo, non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, which made him an international hero.
Lindbergh was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1902. He grew up in Little Falls, Minnesota, and developed an early interest in aviation.
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In 1922, he joined the United States Army Air Service and trained as a pilot. After leaving the army, he became a barnstormer, performing aerobatics and giving rides to paying customers.
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh entered the Orteig Prize competition, which offered $25,000 to the first aviator to fly nonstop from New York City to Paris. On May 20, 1927, Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, in his single-engine monoplane, the Spirit of St. Louis.
After 33.5 hours, he landed in Paris, becoming the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic.
Lindbergh's flight made him an instant celebrity. He was feted by crowds around the world, and his fame helped to popularize aviation. He also wrote a best-selling book about his flight, The Spirit of St. Louis.
In 1932, Lindbergh's infant son was kidnapped and murdered. The crime, which remains unsolved, was a major media event and had a profound impact on Lindbergh and his family.
In the years leading up to World War 2, Lindbergh became an outspoken isolationist. He opposed American aid to Great Britain in the fight against Nazi Germany, and some accused him of being a Nazi sympathizer.
However, Lindbergh denied these accusations, and he eventually served as a consultant to the U.S. military during the war. He even secretly flew aircraft against Japanese pilots in the Pacific.
After the war, Lindbergh became a conservationist. He campaigned for environmental groups, including the World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy.
He also lived among tribes in Africa and the Philippines, and he helped to establish Haleakala National Park in Hawaii.
Family Overview
Charles Lindbergh was the son of a Minnesota politician who had three other children from his previous marriage.
Of his half-siblings, he would only know two of them, with the oldest dying when he was still a young man and before he was famous. He had one sister who outlived him.
Charles Lindbergh married and had six children. Three of them are deceased. Lindbergh became famous due to his flight across the Atlantic Ocean. His fame made him a wealthy man and, unfortunately, attracted a terrible man who kidnapped his firstborn son and murdered him in order to collect a ransom.
After his death, his other children would outlive him and create their own legacies. As of writing this in 2023, he has three living children.
Family Tree Chart
Parents:
Charles August Lindbergh (1859 - 1924) - U.S. Congressman. Elected to represent Minnesota's 6th District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1907 to 1917. Also served as a Candidate in the Republican Primary for United States Senator from Minnesota in 1916 and Candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 1918.
Evangeline Lodge Land (1876 - 1954) - She was 17 years younger than her husband, and the two would only have one child with her husband. She would be stepmother to the children of his former marriage.
Spouse:
Anne Spencer Morrow (1906 - 2001) - She was the wife of her famous husband, and the two had six children. Their first child was kidnapped and murdered, which devastated her. His death tortured her for many years.
Children:
Charles Lindbergh (1930 - 1932) - He was tragically kidnapped and then murdered. Due to the popularity of his father, the press went into a frenzy, and all the attention caused the Lindbergh family to relocate to Europe for a short time.
Jon Morrow Lindbergh (1932 - 2021) - He was an avid outdoorsman and conservationist like his father. He had many children within his two marriages. He died at the age of 88.
Land Morrow Lindbergh (1937) - Still Living
Anne Spencer Lindbergh (1940 - 1993) - She was taught to fly by her father and was an accomplished academic. She died of cancer.
Scott Lindbergh (1942) - He is still living
Reeve Lindbergh (1945) - She is an author and still living.
Siblings:
Lillian Vida Lindbergh (1887 - 1916) - She was the oldest half-sibling of Charles. She and her husband had one child together. She passed away before her brother became infamous.
Edith May Lindbergh (1890 - 1891) - She died as an infant
Eva Augusta Lindbergh (1892 - 1985) - She outlived her famous younger brother. She married twice and had children. She lived and died in Minnesota.