When Charles Lindbergh landed his airplane on May 21, 1927, after becoming the first person to fly solo and non-stop from New York to Paris, he instantly became a national hero. His background and boyhood in Minnesota prepared him well for this role. His paternal grandfather, Ola Mansson, had been a member of the Swedish National Parliament and a close friend of King Charles XV prior to his emigration to the U.S. in 1859, when he changed his name to August Lindbergh. He began farming near Melrose, located in Central Minnesota, but continued to be very active in civic affairs. His son, Charles August (C.A.), followed his father's model. He also bought a farm, served in Congress, and was a candidate for governor of Minnesota and the U.S. Senate. In 1902, a son, Charles, was born to C.A. and Elizabeth Ledge Land Lindbergh. While C.A. represented Minnesota in Congress from 1907 to 1917, the family spent winters in Washington and summers on the farm near Little Falls.Following his flight across the Atlantic Ocean, Charles flew his plane, "The Spirit of St. Louis," to all 48 states. During a goodwill flight to Mexico he met Anne Morrow. They married in 1929; together they made flights to South America, Europe, Africa, and the Orient, exploring possible commercial air routes. Anne and Charles each became famous authors.Like his father, C.A., Charles opposed U.S. entry into the European wars, but when World War II was declared, he supported the war effort in many ways, including flying several combat missions, as a civilian, in the South Pacific. Later, Charles continued to contribute to the development of commercial aviation through his work with Pan American Airways. Before his death in 1974 he devoted much of his time to the protection of the environment.The farm at Little Falls was given by the family to the State of Minnesota as a memorial to C.A. and is now a state park; the farmhouse in which Charles lived during his formative boyhood years has been restored and is interpreted to the public by the Minnesota Historical Society.
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