On 25 July 1909, Louis Bleriot made history by flying over the Channel in an airplane designed and built by himself.

The historic flight took 36 minutes and 30 seconds, and in the heavy landing at Dover, Bleriot damaged the plane’s undercarriage and also broke the propeller. Thankfully, Bleriot was unhurt.

To mark this momentous achievement, here is a newspaper report on Bleriot’s flight, that was published the day after Bleriot landed in England.

Evening Telegraph – Monday 26 July 1909

Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000563/19090726/024/0002