Louis Bleriot with Lord Northcliffe at the Savoy

Louis Bleriot (1872 - 1936), French aviator, engineer and inventor and the first person to cross the Channel in an aircraft. Lord Northcliffe's paper, the Daily Mail had offered a £1000 prize to whoever could perform this feat. Bleriot beat off two rivals (Hubert Latham and Charles de Lambert) to claim the prize, crossing the 22 mile distance from Calais to Dover in 37 minutes. Bleriot became an instant celebrity and this photograph shows him with Lord Northcliffe (second from left) having a celebratory luncheon at the Savoy, London. Also in the picture are Richard Burton Haldane (Viscount Haldane) Secretary of State for War (far right) and polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton, second from right

Bleriot Feat Firsts Flights Northcliffe

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