Charles Lindbergh was a famous American aviator. He was a celebrity who spoke out against America's involvement in World War II, although he changed his mind after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He also spent a lot of his later years speaking out about issues such as, wildlife conservation and the balance between technology and nature. He is most famous for being the first pilot to ever complete a solo trans-Atlantic flight. In 1954, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel titled "The Spirit of St. Louis."
The tale of how Charles Lindbergh won the Pulitzer Prize really begins with a man named Raymond Orteig. On May 19, 1919, Orteig announced that he would give a 25,000 prize (the "Orteig Prize") to any person who could successfully fly solo across the Atlantic, between France and New York, in either direction, in the next five years. No one had succeeded by 1924, so Orteig extended the offer for an additional five years.
Between the time of the Orteig Prize's inception and Lindbergh's successful flight, many pilots had made an attempt to win the money. Four men died trying and two went missing and are presumed dead. This didn't stop the then 25-year-old Charles Lindbergh from making his attempt in 1927.
On May 20, 1957, Charles took off from Roosevelt field in New York. He landed safely at Le Bourget Aerodrome in Paris 33 hours, 29 minutes and 30seconds later. At the time Charles had no idea that he was about to become an instant celebrity. He made the return journey aboard the HMS Memphis and was given a hero's welcome when he reached Washington, D.C.
Lindbergh made the flight in a single seat, single engine, high wing, monoplane dubbed the "Spirit of St. Louis." His Pulitzer Prize winning novel was named for this plane. The Spirit of St. Louis was designed by Donald Hall and built by the Ryan Aeronautical Company.
In 1928, Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St.Louis to Washington, D.C. and presented it to the Smithsonian Instititute. They put it on display in the National Air and Space Museum. It is still there today.
Charles Lindbergh's novel The Spirit of St. Louis was published in 1953. The novel is an autobiographical account of Lindbergh's historical trans-Atlantic flight. The year after it was published, 1954, Charles won the Pulitzer Prize for The Spirit of St. Louis. He could then add that to the list of the many things he had accomplished in his lifetime.