Lindbergh Soars Solo: The First Transatlantic Flight
Charles Lindbergh departed Roosevelt Field on Long Island at 7:52 AM on May 20, 1927, and landed at Le Bourget airfield near Paris at 10:22 PM on May 21, completing the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in 33 hours and 30 minutes. The Spirit of St. Louis carried 450 gallons of fuel, weighed 5,250 pounds at takeoff, and barely cleared the telephone wires at the end of the runway. Lindbergh had no radio, no parachute, and limited forward visibility because a fuel tank occupied the space where a windshield would normally be. He navigated by dead reckoning and stayed awake by opening the side window to let cold air hit his face. A crowd estimated at 150,000 swarmed the airfield and nearly tore the plane apart. Lindbergh collected the $25,000 Orteig Prize and became the most famous person on Earth overnight.
May 21, 1927
99 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on May 21
Four rulers to control one empire—that was Diocletian's solution in 293, when running Rome from a single throne had become impossible. He kept the East, gave Ma…
The Aghlabid forces seized Syracuse after a brutal nine-month siege, ending Byzantine control over Sicily. This conquest consolidated Muslim rule across the isl…
The letter arrived in Latin, addressed to "Branimir, Duke of the Croats." Pope John VIII didn't just send blessings—he bypassed the Frankish bishops who'd claim…
The youngest person ever crowned Holy Roman Emperor couldn't legally sign his own documents. Otto III needed his grandmother Theophanu to countersign everything…
The spot where Denmark met Sweden needed a fortress, not a town. But Danish King Canute IV wanted both—a fortified settlement to control the narrowest crossing …
Stefan Dušan enacted his comprehensive legal code, unifying the diverse customs of the Serbian Empire into a single, cohesive framework. By standardizing judici…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.