Edwin Albert Link
An American tinkerer who taught the world to fly safely on the ground and then plunged into the mysteries of the deep sea.
1904–1981 (age 77)·American inventor and underwater diver·Birthday: July 26·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Ed Link was a classic American inventor, driven by curiosity and a knack for solving practical problems. From his family's business building player pianos and organs, he learned about pneumatics and mechanics, skills he later applied to aviation. Frustrated by the cost and danger of pilot training, he built the first flight simulator in his basement, a whirring, groaning contraption of bellows, pumps, and levers that mimicked an aircraft's movements. The 'Link Trainer', initially dismissed by the military, became an indispensable tool for training hundreds of thousands of pilots during World War II. In the second act of his life, Link turned his inventive mind to the ocean, designing submersibles and pioneering techniques in underwater archaeology, forever linking his name to exploration in both air and water.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Edwin was born in 1904, placing them squarely in The Greatest 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 Edwin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1904
Edwin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1904Born
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Started school
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1917Became a teenager
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Could drive
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1922Could vote
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1925Turned 21
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1934Turned 30
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1944Turned 40
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 50
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 60
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 70
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1981Died at 77
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
Key Achievements
- Invented and commercialized the first effective flight simulator, the 'Link Trainer', in 1929.
- Saw his trainers become standard for Allied pilot instruction during World War II, saving countless lives.
- Designed and built the deep-sea submersible 'Deep Diver', the first small craft to lock out divers underwater.
- Founded the Link Foundation in 1953 to support research in simulation, ocean engineering, and energy.
Did You Know?
His first flight simulator was built using parts from his family's organ and piano business.
The U.S. Army Air Corps initially nicknamed his trainer the 'Blue Box' and bought six only after a daring demonstration in a blizzard.
He discovered the sunken Spanish galleon *Capitana* off the coast of Florida in 1955.
He held the world record for deepest salvage operation in 1960, recovering a sunken helicopter.
“I built a box to teach men to fly, then another to teach them the sea.”
