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ALBERTO SANTOS-DUMONT
(1873-1932)
INVENTOR - AVIATOR
Alberto
Santos-Dumont was a wealthy Brazilian flight enthusiast and inventor. His
dirigible S-D VI
won
100,000 francs for a flight from St
Cloud to the Eiffel Tower and back,
October 19,1901.
On
November 12,1906, the aviator made the first airplane flight in Europe, at
Bagatelle, France.
European
newspapers respected Santos-Dumont's private life, and reported only on his
aviation achievements.
The
American press was not so kind. They attacked the aviator's
character and attire, saying that he was not
interested
in the fair sex, and that he
enjoyed the feminine crafts of embroidery,
knitting and tapestry.
Alberto's
dream was that aviation would bring people closer together and create peace in
the world, rather than
be
used as an instrument of destruction.
During the Brazilian Revolution of 1931/32,
Santos-Dumont said
"I
never thought that my invention would cause bloodshed between brothers. What
have I done?"
He
went to his room and took his own life July 23, 1932.
Copyright Louis Paul Hennefeld 1983 -
2006
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