1884-1966
Aviation pioneer Robert George Fowler was born on this day in San Francisco. Fowler was the first person (west to east) to make a transcontinental flight, albeit in in stages. The journey was undertaken in a Wright biplane equipped with a Cole Motor manufactured for automobiles (Fowler had actually trained with the Wright's). The flight started in San Francisco and eventually ended in Jacksonville, Florida and took some considerable time to complete (the effort began on the 11th of September in 1911 and ended on the 8th of February, 1912). It was during this time that he was the subject of a short "newsreel" type film entitled Robert G. Fowler, Trans-Continental Aviator; the film was produced by the Champion Film company and was released in February of 1912. Fowler would go on to break other flying records after this and even provide for the advancement of aerial photography. Fowler died at his home in San Jose, California on the 15th of June in 1966 at the age of 81. He is buried, along side his wife, at the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.
No comments:
Post a Comment