Glenn Hammond Curtiss

Born in Hammondsport, New York, in 1878, Glenn Hammond Curtiss first made his name in the world of bicycles and motorcycles. He built lightweight engines, raced his own machines, and in 1907 earned fame as the "fastest man on earth" after setting a motorcycle speed record in Florida.

Curtiss soon carried that love of speed into the air. He worked with Alexander Graham Bell's Aerial Experiment Association, became one of the leading American aviators of the pioneer era, and helped develop aircraft that were not just experimental but useful. He is often remembered for advances in seaplanes and flying boats, and for the role his work played in the rise of U.S. naval aviation.

As a founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, he also helped build the American aircraft industry during its formative years. By the time of World War I, Curtiss was both an inventor and a major manufacturer, linking the age of backyard tinkerers to the modern era of aviation.