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Who Was Charles Lindbergh?
Charles Lindbergh was a pioneering aviator renowned for his historic solo transatlantic flight. In May 1927, he achieved global fame by successfully flying from New York to Paris in his aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis. This remarkable feat earned him international acclaim and established him as a symbol of courage and innovation. Lindbergh subsequently authored a Pulitzer Prize-winning book detailing his flight experience.
In 1932, Lindbergh’s life took a tragic turn when his 20-month-old son was kidnapped from their family home. The crime, driven by Lindbergh’s high-profile status, captured widespread media attention and became known as the “Trial of the Century.” In the years leading up to World War II, Lindbergh faced significant controversy due to his isolationist and anti-Semitic views, as well as his associations with Nazi sympathizers. Despite this, he later contributed to the American war effort following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Lindbergh passed away in 1974 at the age of 72.
Early Life
Charles Augustus Lindbergh, born on February 4, 1902, in Detroit, achieved historic fame for completing the first solo transatlantic airplane flight in 1927. However, before his aviation milestones, Lindbergh’s early years unfolded on a farm in Minnesota. He was the son of a lawyer and U.S. Congressman.
Lindbergh’s academic performance was not particularly distinguished. Reflecting on his high school years, he remarked, “In high school, my marks fell so low that I doubt very much I could have passed the final examinations required for graduation.” His turning point came with the onset of World War I. The war effort created a shortage of labor on farms, prompting his school principal to offer full academic credit to students who would work in agriculture. Lindbergh embraced this opportunity.
He pursued studies in mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin but left after three semesters to follow his passion for aviation. In Lincoln, Nebraska, he trained as a pilot and completed his first solo flight in 1923. Lindbergh initially worked as a barnstormer, performing in aerial shows and fairs. In 1924, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he trained as an Army Air Service Reserve pilot. Subsequently, he served as an airmail pilot, transporting mail between St. Louis and Chicago.
First Solo Transatlantic Flight
In the 1920s, hotel owner Raymond Orteig offered a $25,000 prize for the first pilot to successfully fly non-stop from New York to Paris. Charles Lindbergh, driven by the challenge, secured support from St. Louis businessmen despite numerous failed attempts by others.
On May 20, 1927, Lindbergh embarked on his historic journey from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, piloting the custom-built monoplane, Spirit of St. Louis. Over the course of 33.5 hours and more than 3,600 miles, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean and landed at Le Bourget Field near Paris the following day. His arrival was met by a crowd of over 100,000 people, eager to witness aviation history.
The successful completion of this daring feat catapulted Lindbergh to international fame. He was celebrated with large public gatherings wherever he went and was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross medal from President Calvin Coolidge. Lindbergh was also promoted to the rank of colonel in the Air Corps Reserve.
Following his historic flight, Lindbergh devoted much of his time to advancing the field of aviation. He traveled across the country, showcasing his renowned aircraft, delivering speeches, and participating in parades. His book, We (1927), detailing the flight, became a bestseller. Known as “Lucky Lindy” and “The Lone Eagle,” Lindbergh leveraged his newfound fame to support aviation and various causes, solidifying his legacy as a pioneering aviator.
Wife
During a trip to Latin America in December 1927, Charles Lindbergh encountered Anne Morrow in Mexico. Anne, the 21-year-old daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, was home from college for the holidays. At that time, Charles, then 25, was a guest of the Morrow family. A romance developed between them.
Charles and Anne married in May 1929. In the following year, Charles taught Anne how to fly, and the couple enjoyed the unique privacy that aviation offered. Together, they played a significant role in mapping out commercial air travel routes worldwide, earning them the title of “the First Couple of the Skies.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh later gained recognition as a best-selling author and poet, with her first book, North to the Orient, recounting one of their journeys.
In search of a more private life, Charles and Anne moved to an estate in Hopewell, New Jersey, where they began to build their family.
Children
Charles and Anne had six children together, beginning with Charles Jr. in 1930. Their family later grew with the births of three additional sons: Jon in 1932, Land in 1937, and Scott in 1942. Their daughters, Anne and Reeve, were born in 1940 and 1945, respectively.
Jon, following in his parents’ adventurous footsteps, pursued a career as a marine biologist specializing in deep-sea diving and research. He also had a brief foray into acting. Jon passed away in July 2021.
Both Anne and Reeve followed their mother’s path into writing. Anne Spencer Lindbergh received multiple accolades for her literary work before her death in December 1993. Reeve authored several memoirs and an autobiographical novel reflecting on her experiences as part of the renowned Lindbergh family.
In addition to his children with Anne, Charles had three clandestine extramarital relationships, resulting in seven more children born between 1958 and 1967. His relationship with Brigitte Hesshaimer, a German hat maker whom he met in 1957, produced three children: Dyrk, Astrid, and David. The children, who knew him as Careu Kent, discovered his true identity in the 1990s. They publicly revealed this information in 2003, two years after their mother’s passing.
Charles also had two children, Vago and Christoph, with Brigitte’s sister, Marietta. Additionally, he fathered two more children, whose names remain undisclosed, with Valeska, his German translator and private secretary.
The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping
Among Charles Lindbergh’s children, his firstborn, Charles Lindbergh Jr., is perhaps the most famously tragic figure. At just 20 months old, Lindbergh Jr. was abducted from the family’s Hopewell, New Jersey, residence on March 1, 1932. The kidnapping, which demanded a ransom of $50,000, captivated global attention. Despite the Lindberghs’ payment of the ransom, their son’s body was discovered in a nearby wooded area several weeks later.
The investigation led authorities to Bruno Hauptmann, a carpenter with a criminal history, who was subsequently arrested. The trial of Hauptmann, widely known as the “Trial of the Century,” garnered extensive media coverage and further intensified the family’s sorrow. Hauptmann was convicted of the crime and was executed in 1936.
Later Career: Artificial Heart Invention, Controversies, and Literary Contributions
To escape intense media scrutiny, Charles and Anne Lindbergh relocated to Europe in December 1935, spending time in England and France. During this period, Lindbergh engaged in scientific research and collaborated with a French surgeon to develop an early model of an artificial heart. His professional endeavors also included continuing his aviation career; he served on the board of directors for Pan-American World Airways and occasionally acted as a special advisor.
In 1936, Lindbergh was invited by Nazi leader Hermann Göring to tour German aviation facilities, an experience that left a notable impression on him. Two years later, Göring awarded Lindbergh the Service Cross of the German Eagle, an honor that drew significant criticism and fueled suspicions about his political sympathies. As World War II loomed, the Lindberghs returned to the United States.
At this juncture, Lindbergh expressed a belief in the superiority of German air power and became involved with the America First Committee, an organization advocating for American neutrality in the European conflict. His controversial September 1941 speech in Des Moines, Iowa, which asserted his stance on the war, further eroded his public support and led to accusations of Nazi sympathies and anti-Semitism. However, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lindbergh actively supported the war effort, collaborating with Henry Ford on bomber production and serving as an advisor and test pilot for United Aircraft. He also undertook 50 unofficial combat missions in the Pacific, including one in which he shot down a Japanese plane.
After the war, Lindbergh authored several books, including Of Flight and Life (1948) and The Spirit of St. Louis (1953), the latter of which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1954 and inspired a 1957 film adaptation. Additionally, he advocated for environmental preservation. In his later years, Lindbergh and his wife settled on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
Death and Legacy
Charles A. Lindbergh passed away from lymphoma on August 26, 1974, at the age of 72. At the time of his death, he was surrounded by his wife and son, Land, at the Lindberghs’ secluded residence in Kipahulu, Hawaii. He had returned there just over a week earlier after an extended period in New York City, where he was undergoing treatment for his illness. Lindbergh was interred on the same day at a local cemetery in Kipahulu.
President Gerald Ford paid tribute to Lindbergh, stating, “Nearly half a century has passed since his courageous solo flight across the Atlantic, but the courage and daring of his feat will never be forgotten. For years to come, we will also remember the selfless, sincere man himself, Charles A. Lindbergh, one of America’s all-time heroes and a great pioneer of the air age that changed the world.”
Despite facing personal controversies, Lindbergh’s contributions to the advancement of commercial aviation remain significant. His remarkable achievements continue to inspire. In 1977, astronaut Neil Armstrong and others established The Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation, which supports sustainability in aviation and environmental initiatives. Additionally, in 2002, Lindbergh’s grandson, Erik Lindbergh, commemorated his grandfather’s historic achievement by recreating the famed transatlantic flight.