Alberto Santos-Dumont

Alberto Santos-Dumont (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsɐ̃tus duˈmõw̃]; July 20, 1873 – July 23, 1932) was a Brazilian aviation pioneer. The heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers, Santos Dumont dedicated himself to science studies in Paris, France, where he spent most of his adult life.

Santos-Dumont designed, built, and flew one of the first practical dirigibles. By doing so he demonstrated that routine, controlled flight was possible. This "conquest of the air", in particular his winning the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize on October 19, 1901 on a flight that rounded the Eiffel Tower, made him one of the most famous people in the world during the early 20th century.