Henry Ford Biography and Contribution

QUICK FACTS
NAME
Henry Ford
BIRTH DATE
July 30, 1863
DEATH DATE
April 7, 1947
EDUCATION
Goldsmith, Bryant & Stratton Business College in Detroit
PLACE OF BIRTH
Wayne County, Michigan
PLACE OF DEATH
Dearborn, Michigan

One of America's foremost industrialists, Henry Ford revolutionized assembly-line modes of

production for the automobile.

Synopsis
Born on July 30, 1863, near Dearborn, Michigan, Henry Ford created the Ford Model T car in
1908 and went on to develop the assembly line mode of production, which revolutionized the
industry. As a result, Ford sold millions of cars and became a world-famous company head. The
company lost its market dominance but had a lasting impact on other technological development
and U.S. infrastructure.

Early Life
Famed automobile manufacturer Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, on his family's farm in
Wayne County, near Dearborn, Michigan. When Ford was 13 years old, his father gifted him a
pocket watch, which the young boy promptly took apart and reassembled. Friends and neighbors
were impressed, and requested that he fix their timepieces too.
Unsatistfied with farm work, Ford left home the following year, at the age of 16, to take an
apprenticeship as a machinist in Detroit. In the years that followed, he would learn to skillfully
operate and service steam engines, and would also study bookkeeping.

Early Career
In 1888, Ford married Clara Ala Bryant and briefly returned to farming to support his wife and
son, Edsel. But three years later, he was hired as an engineer for the Edison Illuminating
Company. In 1893, his natural talents earned him a promotion to chief engineer.
All the while, Ford developed his plans for a horseless carriage, and in 1896, he constructed his
first model, the Ford Quadricycle. Within the same year, he attended a meeting with Edison
executives and found himself presenting his automobile plans to Thomas Edison. The lighting
genius encouraged Ford to build a second, better model.

Ford Motor Company

After a few trials building cars and companies, in 1903, Henry Ford established the Ford Motor
Company. Ford introduced the Model T in October of 1908, and for several years, the company
posted 100 percent gains.

However, more than for his profits, Ford became renowned for his revolutionary vision: the
manufacture of an inexpensive automobile made by skilled workers who earn steady wages.
In 1914, he sponsored the development of the moving assembly line technique of mass
production. Simultaneously, he introduced the $5-per-day wage ($110 in 2011) as a method of
keeping the best workers loyal to his company. Simple to drive and cheap to repair, half of all
cars in America in 1918 were Model T's.

Philosophy, Philanthropy and Anti-Semitism

From a social perspective, Henry Ford's was marked by seemingly contradictory viewpoints. In
business, Ford offered profit sharing to select employees who stayed with the company for six
months and, most important, who conducted their lives in a respectable manner.
The company's "Social Department" looked into an employees drinking, gambling and
otherwise uncouth activities to determine eligibility for participation. Ford was also an ardent
pacifist and opposed World War I, even funding a peace ship to Europe. Later, in 1936, Ford and
his family established the Ford Foundation to provide ongoing grants for research, education and
development. But despite these philanthropic leanings, Ford was also a committed anti-Semite,
going as far as to support a weekly newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, which furthered such
views.
Henry Ford died of a cerebral hemorrhage on April 7, 1947, at the age of 83, near his Dearborn
estate, Fair Lane. Ford, considered one of America's leading businessmen, is credited today for
helping to build America's economy during the nation's vulnerable early years. His legacy will
live on for decades to come.

Charles Lindbergh Biography

Inventor, Pilot, Writer (19021974)

QUICK FACTS
NAME
Charles Lindbergh
OCCUPATION
Inventor, Pilot, Writer
BIRTH DATE
February 4, 1902
DEATH DATE
August 26, 1974
EDUCATION
University of Wisconsin

PLACE OF BIRTH
Detroit, Michigan
PLACE OF DEATH
Maui, Hawaii
AKA
Charles Augustus Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
FULL NAME
Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr.

Synopsis
Born on February 4, 1902, in Detroit, Michigan, Charles Lindbergh completed the first
solo transatlantic flight in his plane, Spirit of St. Louis. In 1932, his 20-month-old son
was kidnapped. The Lindberghs paid the $50,000 ransom, but sadly their son's dead
body was found in the nearby woods weeks later. The events made world news and
added to Lindbergh's fame. Lindbergh died in Maui, Hawaii, in 1974.
Early Life
Born Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. on February 4, 1902, in Detroit, Michigan, Charles
Lindbergh became famous for making the first solo transatlantic airplane flight in 1927.
Before he took to the skies, however, Lindbergh was raised on a farm in Minnesota and
the son of a lawyer and a congressman.
Lindbergh studied mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin before leaving
school to pursue his interest in flight. He went to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he made his
first solo flight in 1923. Lindbergh became a barnstormer, or a daredevil pilot,
performing at fairs and other events. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1924 and trained

as an Army Air Service Reserve pilot. He later worked as an airmail pilot, flying back
and forth between St. Louis and Chicago
First Solo Transatlantic Flight
In the 1920s, hotel owner Raymond Orteig was offering a prize of $25,000 to the first
pilot to make the journey from New York to Paris without making any stops. Lindbergh
wanted to win this challenge and enlisted the support of some St. Louis businessmen.
Several others had tried and failed, but this didn't deter him. Lindbergh took off from
Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, on May 20, 1927. Flying a monoplane named
Spirit of St Louis, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
Lindbergh landed at Le Bourguet Field near Paris after 33.5 hours in the air. During his
groundbreaking trip, he had traveled more than 3,600 miles. Upon his arrival, Lindbergh
was welcomed by more than 100,000 people who came to see aviation history in the
making. After his daring feat, large crowds enthusiastically greeted wherever he went.
Lindbergh received many prestigious honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross
medal from President Calvin Coolidge.
Lindbergh dedicated much of his time to promoting the field of aviation. Traveling
around the country, he flew his famous plane to different cities where he gave speeches
and participated in parades. The public couldn't get enough of Lindbergh -- his book on
the legendary flight entitled We (1927) became a best seller. Nicknamed "Lucky Lindy"
and "The Lone Eagle," he became an international celebrity and he tried to use that
fame to help aviation and other causes he believed in.
During a trip to Latin America, he met Anne Morrow in Mexico whom he wed in 1929.
The next year he taught her how to fly a plane, and the two enjoyed the privacy that
flying afforded them. Together they charted routes for commercial air travel around the
world.
Seeking a life away from the spotlight, Lindbergh and his wife went to live on an estate
in Hopewell, New Jersey. The couple started a family with the birth of their first child,
Charles Augustus, Jr. At only 20 months old, the boy was kidnapped from their home in

1932. The crime made headlines around the world. The Lindberghs paid the $50,000
ransom, but sadly their son's dead body was found in the nearby woods weeks later.
The police traced the ransom money to Bruno Hauptmann, a carpenter with a criminal
record, and arrested him for the crime. To compound Lindbergh's grief, the ensuing trial
of his son's accused killer became a media frenzy. Hauptmann was convicted and later
executed in 1936.
To escape the constant media attention, the couple moved to Europe, living in England
and then France. Around this time, Lindbergh did some scientific research, inventing an
early type of artificial heart with a French surgeon. He also continued his work in
aviation, serving on the board of directors for Pan-American World Airways and acting
as a special advisor at times. Lindbergh was invited to tour German aviation facilities by
Nazi leader Hermann Gring and was impressed by what he saw.
Concerned that German air power was unbeatable, Lindbergh became involved with the
America First Organization, which advocated that the United States stay neutral in the
war in Europe. His position on the war, eroded his public support, and some believed
that he had Nazi sympathies. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Lindbergh
became active in the war effort, working with Henry Ford on bombers and acting as an
advisor and test pilot for United Aircraft
Final Years
After the war, Lindbergh wrote several books, including Of Flight and Life(1948)
and The Spirit of St. Louis (1953), which won the 1954 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or
Autobiography. He also lobbied for environmental preservation. In his later years, he
and his wife moved to the Hawaiian island of Maui.
Lindbergh died of cancer on August 26, 1974, in his remote Maui home. He was
survived by his wife and five living children: Jon, Land, Anne, Scott and Reeve. Reports
surfaced in 2003 that he had three other children with a German woman with whom he
reportedly had a long-term affair.

Despite any personal controversies, Lindbergh is credited with helping to usher in the
age of commercial aviation. His incredible acts of courage continue to inspire others.
His grandson, Erik Lindbergh, recreated the flight that made his grandfather famous in
2002.