CHARLES LINDBERGH
October 15, 1927

On October 15, 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed The Spirit of St. Louis before a crowd of National Guardsmen, photographers, and thousands of cheering citizens in a field east of Richmond. Only four months earlier, the aviator had completed the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean that electrified the world and made him an instant celebrity. City officials escorted Lindbergh to the State Fair Grounds where state leaders awarded him a gold medal and declared October 15 to be “Lindbergh Day” in the Commonwealth.

Lindbergh’s arrival in Richmond was exciting: The aviator was the first of a new generation of celebrity, loved for his character, courage, and sense of adventure. Much of Lindbergh’s time was spent with Governor Harry Byrd, brother to Richard Evelyn Byrd. Considered Lindbergh’s rival, Richard had recently completed the first flight over the North Pole. Placing competitive feelings aside, the Richmond aviator welcomed the Detroit aviator as the first official visitor to the Richard Evelyn Byrd Flying Field, today, the Richmond International Airport.

Charles A. Lindbergh shaking hands with Clarence Chamberlin, with Richard Byrd in center, and the Spirit of Louis behind them, 1927, Courtesy of the Library of Congress; E. Carter Delano, Lindbergh honored with a song, October 15, 1927, Courtesy of the Virginia Historical Society