On May 20, 1927, at 7:52 a.m., American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh takes off in the Spirit of St. Louis from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, on the world’s first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean and the first ever nonstop flight between New York to Paris. He flew northeast up the East Coast and as night fell left Newfoundland and headed across the North Atlantic. His greatest challenge was staying awake; he had to hold his eyelids open with his fingers and hallucinated ghosts passing through the cockpit. The next afternoon, after flying 3,610 miles in 33 1/2 hours, Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget field in Paris, becoming the first pilot to accomplish the solo, nonstop transatlantic crossing. Lindbergh’s achievement made him an international celebrity and won widespread public acceptance of the airplane and commercial aviation. Find Lucky Lindy at the library, on hoopla and in OverDrive.

Glenn Miller records I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo (vocals – Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton, The Modernaires), May 20, 1942. Other charts recorded include Serenade in Blue (vocals – Ray Eberle, Modernaires), At Last (vocals – Eberle), Lullaby of Rain (vocals – Eberle, Modernaires) and Knit One Purl Two (vocals – Hutton, Modernaires), 1942.

Band Roster:
Trumpets: Billy May, Steve Limpkins, Dale McMickle, Harry Johnny Best
Trombones: Glenn Miller, Jim Priddy, Paul Tanner, Frank D’Annolfo
Reeds: Skippy Martin (as), Ernie Caceres (as, bs, cl), Wilbur Schwartz (as, cl)Tex Beneke (ts), Al Klink (ts)
Rhythm: Chummy MacGregor (p), Bobby Hackett (g), Doc Goldberg (b), Maurice Purtill (d)