Alberto Santos Dumont Biography

Alberto Santos Dumont was a Brazilian aviation pioneer. Dedicating his life to aeronautical study and experimentation, he was the inventor of airplanes and Dirigibles. The first person to combine successfully the internal combustion engine and ballooning, Alberto was also instrumental in being the first to fly a heavier than air motor plane. “Demoiselle No. 19” was the world's first series production aircraft. Grandson of a French immigrant and the son of a coffee planter, a wealthy man that he was, devoted all his money and energy into inventions. He mentioned in his autobiography that the idea of flying came to his mind when he was enjoying the magnificent view of skies in sunny afternoons at the plantation site in Brazil. A young man of great enthusiasm and energy, he was also one of the first Parisians to invest in a gasoline-driven automobile. He used to describe himself as the first ‘sportsman of the air’. He visited the United States and got the invitation from the White House to meet with the U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. His achievement in the aviation field earned him wide recognition and he bagged several prestigious prizes, earned royalty and became friends with millionaires and aviation pioneers.