A Day That Shook The World: Charles Lindbergh flies the Atlantic solo

(Hulton Archive/Getty)

On 20 May 1927, Captain Charles Linbergh became the first man to fly across the Atlantic ocean.

10 hours after leaving New York in his plane The Spirit Of St Louis, he touched down in Paris, and was greeted by hundreds of thousands of well-wishers. He was catapulted to fame on the back of his achievement, becoming a worldwide celebrity.

His fame came with a price though - five years later, his baby son was kidnapped for a ransom. The world was horrified and even Al Capone offered his assistance. The infant was found dead in a wood a year later.

Watch original footage from Lindbergh's voyage and its aftermath in this British Pathé video, above.