Eddie Rickenbacker
A World War I flying ace who turned his daredevil instincts from race cars to dogfights, becoming America's top fighter pilot.
1890–1973 (age 83)·American World War I aviator·Birthday: October 8·The Lost Generation
Biography
Eddie Rickenbacker's life was a testament to American speed and grit. Before he ever climbed into a cockpit, he was a celebrated race car driver, pushing machines to their limit on the dusty tracks of the early 20th century. When the United States entered the Great War, he took that same fearless precision to the skies over France. As commander of the 94th Aero Squadron, the 'Hat-in-the-Ring' gang, he notched 26 confirmed aerial victories, a record that made him the nation's most successful fighter ace. His wartime heroics earned him the Medal of Honor, but his story was far from over. In the decades that followed, he became a pivotal figure in commercial aviation, taking the helm of Eastern Air Lines and steering it to become a major carrier. His survival of a harrowing 24 days adrift in the Pacific during World War II only added to his mythos as a man who repeatedly cheated death.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Eddie was born in 1890, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eddie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1890
Eddie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1890Born
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Started school
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Became a teenager
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could drive
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could vote
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Turned 21
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 30
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 40
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 50
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 60
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 70
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 80
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Died at 83
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
Key Achievements
- Achieved 26 aerial victories as a fighter pilot in World War I, making him the top American ace of the conflict.
- Awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat on September 25, 1918.
- Served as the long-time president and general manager of Eastern Air Lines, shaping the early commercial aviation industry.
- Was a successful Indianapolis 500 race car driver and automotive designer before his military service.
Did You Know?
He survived a near-fatal plane crash in 1941 that left him with a shattered left leg and a paralyzed left hand, which he later regained use of.
During World War II, he survived 24 days on a life raft in the Pacific Ocean after his B-17 ditched, subsisting on rainwater and fish.
His nickname was 'Captain Eddie' or 'Fast Eddie'.
He owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1927 to 1945.
“Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.”
