It's hard to say who is the most famous person in the world. Thanks to technology, YouTube, reality TV and other sources these days, the most famous person in the world today might be yesterday's news next week.

But on August 27, 1927 there was no doubt who was the most famous and recognized person on earth.

And he was in Renner, South Dakota.

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Charles Lindbergh became a worldwide sensation in May of '27 when he flew non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. Solo.

Now, nearly 100 years later, that may seem kind of quaint. At the time it was a sensation, an impossible feat made possible. Everyone wanted to be Charles Lindbergh...and if you couldn't be him, you wanted to see this near mythical hero.

And that wish came true August 27 for the people in Renner, South Dakota. Or rather, the people of Renner and a lot more. A whole lot more!

Contemporary estimates are that between thirty and forty thousand people turned out to see the man who piloted the Spirit of St. Louis from Long Island, New York to Paris, France just three months before.

But wait just a minute. What in the world was this most famous person in the world doing in Renner, South Dakota? Well, it was a promotional tour.

The Guggenheim Fund and the U.S. Department of Commerce sponsored a nationwide air tour. They wanted to stir up even more interest in air travel and air safety. And what better way to do that than to feature the most famous person in the world.

Lindbergh has taken off from Fargo for Sioux Falls. He dropped fly-over messages while circling Aberdeen, Redfield, Huron and Mitchel before landing in Renner right on schedule.

And so it was, that on August 27, 1927, the world's most famous person, the nation's greatest hero, greeted the friendly people of Renner, South Dakota...and about 35,000 of their neighbors.

Wikipedia Contributed To This Article 

 

 

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