Ferdinand Graf Von Zeppelin

German engineer, inventor and military member 1858-1891. He is most noted for inventing the dirigible that carries his name, the first airship of a rigid type, 1900. The ship crashed on landing on its maiden voyage, but he continued to successfully build and fly airships for his lifetime. After completing his education at the Ludwigsburg Military Academy and the University of Tübingen, Zeppelin entered the Prussian Army in 1858. In 1863, he traveled to the United States where he worked as a military observer for the Union Army. During his military service, he saw action in the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71, and at the time of his retirement, he had the rank of brigadier general. From 1891-1900, he devoted himself to building motor-driven airships. Persistent and tireless in the pursuit of his goal, he flew his first airship over Lake Constance on 7/02/1900. Six years later he completed work on a faster airship, and in 1908, he established the Zeppelin Foundation at Friederichshafen to carry on the development and manufacturing process. Despite suffering several setbacks over the years, one of his airships provided the first commercial air service for passengers in 1910, and the Zeppelin Airships continued to sail the skies throughout the 20th Century. Zeppelin died 3/08/1917, Berlin, Germany. Link to Wikipedia biography