Gustave Whitehead Timeline and Media

Gustave Whitehead Timeline and Media

from Family Tree, created by Susan O’Dwyer Brinchman

Whitehead Family Tree

• Birth

  1874 1 Jan

  Leutershausen, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany

• Arrival

  1893 Age: 19

  Age: 19

• Arrival

  1893 Age: 19

  Massachusetts, USA

  Age: 19

• 

  Marriage to Louise Tuba

  1897 Age: 23

  Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA

• Add Media

  Residence

  1900 Age: 26

  Pittsburgh Ward 14, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA

  Age: 25; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head

• 

  1st Manned, Powered Flight of an Airplane in the World

  1901 14 Aug Age: 27

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  On August 14,1901, dawn,Gustave Albin Whitehead (Weisskopf), inventor and aeronaut, successfully flew a powered, manned, heavier-than-air flying machine at Fairfield, CT. Later, he flew 3 X more at Lordship Manor, Stratford, CT. www.gustavewhitehead.info

• 

  First Circling Flight

  1902 17 Jan Age: 28

  Lordship, Stratford, CT

  First circling flight in the world, conducted with No. 22 (improved version of No. 21) over Long Island Sound, described in Letter to Editor, American Inventor, April 1, 1902

• 

  Residence

  1902 Age: 28

  Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

  241 Pine Street apartment with first successful airplane built in its cellar and shop in the yard.

• Residence

  1904 Age: 30

  Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

• Residence

  1907 Age: 33

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  Tunxis Hill Road, machinist

• Residence

  1908 Age: 34

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA (Tunxis Hill Road)

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  Occupation

  1908 Age: 34

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut

  Advertised as Automobile Repairer, located at Tunxis Hill Road, F; in Fairfield/Southport Business Directory

• Residence

  1909 Age: 35

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA (Tunxis Hill Road)

• Residence

  1910 Age: 36

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  Age: 36; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head Lenox Park is name of street/area

• Residence

  1911 Age: 37

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  F h do Automobile Repairer, Tunxis Hill

• Residence

  1912 Age: 38

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  Ridgely ave, mechanic

• Residence

  1913 Age: 39

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  Ridgely ave, mechanic

• Residence

  1917 Age: 43

  Fairfield, Connecticut

  Age: 43

• Residence

  1919 Age: 45

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  Alvin St. near Black Rock Rd., F

• Residence

  1920 Age: 46

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  Alvin n Black Rock rd F

• Residence

  1921 Age: 47

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  Alvin n Lenox rd F

• Residence

  1922 Age: 48

  Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

•  Residence

  1923 Age: 49

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  Lived at 69 Alvin Street since 1914, through his death there in 1927. Later this became 184 Alvin Street. His residence was listed under his son Charles’ name in the Bridgeport / Fairfield Business Directories from 1915-1919. The property in wife’s name.

•  Residence

  1924 Age: 50

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  lab h 69 Alvin n Lenox rd, F BPO

•  Occupation

  1924 Age: 50

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut

  Laborer

• Residence

  1925 Age: 51

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  69 Alvin Street, Fairfield, CT in Tunxis Hill area on East side of Fairfield.

• Death

  1927 10 Oct Age: 53

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  First in powered flight, Fairfield, CT, August 14, 1901, Age: 53

• 

  Burial

  1927 Oct

  Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA

  Lakeview Cemetery Originally buried in a pauper’s grave, with only number “42” attached, Gustave Whitehead was given a large headstone in 1964 with a fitting description concerning his flight claims and recognition as “CT’s Father of Aviation”.

• Residence

  1927 Age: 53

  Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

  69 Alvin Street. His wife lived there through 1944 whereupon she sold the house and property, moving to Florida, where she died within a year or two, it is said.

• Cause of Death

  Heart attack at age 53

• Also Known As

  Gustav Albin Weisskopf, Gustav Whitehead

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  Media Gallery

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  • About Gustave Albin Whitehead

  Gustave Albin Whitehead, born Gustav Albin Weisskopf, is now being widely recognized as “first in powered flight” ahead of the Wrights.

  from this website: About Gustave Whitehead (https://gustavewhitehead.info/):

  In 1901, Gustave Whitehead invented, built, and flew the world’s first powered airplane, in Connecticut. His pioneering first flight, written up by an eyewitness newspaper reporter for a local paper and carried in scores of newspapers nationwide, predated the Wrights by 28 months. Afterward, he continued to develop, test and fly early powered airplanes up through 1908, though the majority of his successful flights occurred between 1901-1902. Whitehead conducted many of his test flights in close proximity to populated areas so there were many witnesses. Sometimes he flew over entire neighborhoods, and his plane attracted much attention in the region.  Statements and affidavits from witnesses to the flights were gathered from 1901 up through the 1970′s. People who recall their older friends or relatives mentioning his flights are still coming forward in 2013.
  Whitehead was known for his early flights until attention shifted to the Wright brothers’ accomplishments, starting around 1904-1906.  Though a man with little money, who took jobs to support his family while he invented on a part-time basis, Whitehead accomplished what no one else before him had – true sustained flight, with power and control, for a distance of 1/2 a mile,  landing without damage, in 1901.  That flight marked the peak of his achievements, as even with longer flights to come, the first was most important, as it marked the beginning of the age of aviation. Though Whitehead never obtained adequate funding to continue developing his own designs, some of his early ideas contributed to further development of the airplane.

  Gustave Whitehead did not gain fame nor fortune from his inventions. Recognition of his accomplishments has been long in coming, for a variety of reasons. But one thing is certain, Whitehead flew successfully on numerous occasions before the Wrights made their flights at Kitty Hawk, and he deserves a place of honor in early aviation history. Whitehead’s story is one of overcoming adversity.
  On March 8, 2013, Paul Jackson, editor for “Jane’s All the World Aircraft” announced the “aviation bible’s” recognition of Gustave Whitehead as first to successfully fly a powered airplane, worldwide, with the Wrights taking second place, memorialized in Jane’s 100th anniversary edition. Jane’s historic statement was soon followed by heated discussion between Whitehead and Wright “camps”, with an international media blitz that seemingly has reached into every home.  On June 27, 1913, CT Governor Malloy signed a bill recognizing Gustave Whitehead as “first in powered flight“, instead of the Wright brothers, touching off an additional storm of worldwide controversy.

  All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.  (Arthur Schopenhauer)

  Gustave Whitehead First in Flight

  Wikipedia article about Gustave Whitehead (should be approached with caution, Wright proponents are “controlling” the page – see the Talk page history for proof of this). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Whitehead

Follow @gwfirstinflight