 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Lindbergh had meticulously prepared for his flight; he had inspected every detail of the plane and carefully considered every aspect of his journey. The only thing he had not anticipated was the way the world would respond. The response to Lindbergh's successful flight was unprecedented. More than 150,000 people gathered to welcome their new hero upon his arrival at Le Bourget airfield in France. The subsequent global media blitz and public adoration swirling around Lindbergh was like nothing the world had ever experienced. He truly was the first global celebrity. Inspired by Lindbergh's astounding achievement, ordinary citizens and small businesses worldwide showered him and his family with handmade gifts. Professionals and amateurs alike immortalized the young hero in song, poetry and art. Lindbergh also received hundreds of official medals and awards from governments and organizations across the globe, keys to major cities, and gifts from dignitaries and civic leaders—among these was the prestigious French Legion of Honor medal. The Missouri Historical Society received national attention when Lindbergh, who had just completed the first solo, transatlantic flight, agreed to lend his trophies, medals and gifts to the institution for a ten-day period. The Missouri Historical Society exhibited the items on top of the archaeological cases in an attempt to display the items as quickly as possible. The exhibition opened on June 25, 1927, and a local newspaper estimated that 116,000 people viewed the Lindbergh items during the first four days of the exhibition. The exhibition’s popularity led to Lindbergh agreeing to extend the loan of the collection; five years later, Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, donated the extensive collection to the Missouri Historical Society. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |