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| Eugene Ely, Daredevil Aviator Eugene Burton Ely was buried the day after his 25th birthday, less than a half-mile from where he was born. No sooner had he captured the world's eye and gained the fame he sought, than he crashed into the earth and was dead |
Until 1911, the last year of his life, hardly anyone knew his name. More than a century later, nothing has changed.
An Iowa farm boy afraid of heights, Ely was the first to land an airplane on the deck of a ship and later to land and takeoff. To some, he is the father of naval aviation, the inspiration behind today's nuclear aircraft carriers--but many details of his life have been lost until now.
And--by the way-- don't believe everything you read about Gene on the Interne
