People, Locations, Episodes

Cornelius Coffey, Aviation Pioneer born

*Cornelius Coffey was born on this date in 1903. He was an African American aviator and engineer; and was the first black person to hold both a pilot’s and mechanic’s license in America.

John C. Robinson, Aviator born

*John Robinson was born on this date in 1905.  He was a Black aviator and activist.  John Charles Robinson was born in Carrabelle, Florida, and spent his early years in Gulfport, Mississippi. His father died when he was a baby, leaving him and his four-year-old sister, Bertha, with their mother, Celeste Robinson, who married Charles Cobb. Robinson was inspired by flight at an […]

Willa Brown, Aviation Pioneer and Teacher born

*On this date, we mark the birth of Willa Brown in 1906. She was an African American aviator, activist, and educator and the first Black officer in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

From Glasgow, Kentucky, Willa Mae Brown received her Bachelor of Science degree in business from Indiana State Teachers College in 1927. After graduating, she taught public school in Gary, Indiana, and Chicago, Illinois, where she developed an interest in aviation.

Marie Dickerson Corker, Aviator, and Dancer born

*Marie Dickerson Coker was born on this date in 1906. She was a Black singer, dancer, airplane Stunt Pilot, musician, and showgirl. From Muskogee, Oklahoma, the fifth of seven children to Sarah Ragsdale and a father surnamed Jones. After she was widowed, Marie’s mother left Muskogee for Los Angeles, California, along with Marie and some […]

Chauncey Spencer, Pilot born

Chauncey Spencer was born on this date in 1906. He was an African American pilot and educator.

He was born in Lynchburg, VA, one of three children of Edward Spencer and noted Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer. One of the most respected families in Lynchburg, visitors to the Spencer home included George Washington Carver, Paul Robeson, James Weldon Johnson, Walter White, Clarence Muse, Dean Pickens, Adam Clayton Powell, Langston Hughes, Thurgood Marshall, and W.E.B. Dubois.

Charles Anderson, Aviator born

*Charles Anderson was born this date in 1907. He was an African American aviator.

From Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Janie and Iverson Anderson of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Young Anderson was enamored with airplanes and flying from the age of six. Because most flight instructors during that time would not take Black students, he taught himself to fly at the age of 22 in a used plane purchased with his savings and funds borrowed from friends and relatives. He earned a private pilot’s license in 1929 and a commercial pilot’s license in 1932.

Thomas C. Allen, Aviator born

*Thomas Allen was born on this date in 1907. He was a Black aviation mechanic and pilot. Thomas Cox Allen was born in Quitman, Wood County, Texas, the youngest of three children; his parents were teachers. Allen’s father died when he was three months old. His mother, Polly, continued to teach school and run the […]

Frank Mann, Aviator, and Engineer born

On this date we mark the birth of Frank Mann in 1908. He was an African American engineer and designer.

A Black Man Becomes The First Human To Reach The North Pole

On this date in 1909 African American Matthew Henson became the first man to reach the North Pole.

Henson, an African American explorer, and adventurer began the journey with Admiral Robert E. Peary from Camp Sheridan in Greenland in February of that year. By April they were near exhaustion and blinded by snow glare, but only 60 miles from their goal. Despite the adversity, Henson, an expert in handling equipment, dog sleds and in communicating with Eskimos went forth and became the first man to reach the North Pole.

Bessie Stringfield, Motorcyclist born

 *This date in 1911 is celebrated as the birth date of Bessie Stringfield. She was a Black motorcyclist and civilian motorcycle dispatch rider for the US Army during World War II. She was born Bessie Beatrice White to Maggie Cherry and James White, living in Edenton, North Carolina. Later, she created a different version of […]

Lewis A. Jackson, Aviator, and Educator born

Lewis A. Jackson was born on this date in 1912. He was an African American aviator, innovator, educator, and administrator.

Edward Toppins, Military Pilot born.

*Edward Toppins was born on this date in 1915. He was a Black U.S. Army Air Force pilot and commanding officer. Edward Lucien Toppins was born in Mississippi to Martha E. Toppins Davis, a dressmaker. He was the only brother of three sisters: Henrietta, Delphine, and Naomi. After living in Louisiana in the 1930s, Toppins […]

Dorothy Layne McIntyre, Aviator born

*Dorothy Layne McIntyre was born on this date in 1917. She is a Black aviator (retired) and educator.  Dorothy Arlene Layne was born in Leroy, New York. She completed her elementary and secondary school education in Leroy, enrolled in West Virginia State College, and was accepted into the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Layne then moved […]

Herbert E. Carter, Military Pilot born.

*Herbert E. Carter was born on this date in 1919. He was a Black military pilot and a United States Air Force officer. Herbert Eugene Carter was born in Amory, Mississippi, and was one of ten children. His father, George Washington Carter, was African American, and his mother, Willie Ann Sykes Carter, was Native American. […]

Edward A. Gibbs, Aviation, Instructor and Businessman born

*Edward Gibbs was born on this date in 1919. He was an aviator, businessman, and instructor. Edward Albertis Gibbs was from New York City. He attended New York City public schools and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from New York University and a Juris Doctorate Degree from New York Law School. He […]