Lindbergh's arrival in France, historical artwork. Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974) achieved the first solo transatlantic flight. He took off in his monoplane Spirit of St Louis at 07:52 on 20th May 1927 from Long Island, New York, USA. He flew for 33.5 hours non-stop and when he finally landed in Paris, France, night had fallen. It was 22:22 on 21st May when he touched ground, but a large crowd was still there to greet him at this late hour. After briefly flying to London a few days later, Lindbergh and his airplane were taken by the US Navy back to America, where the people were so in awe of his feat that they held a parade in New York in his honour. Image taken from Le Petit Journal, France, May 1927.