A round medal with an image of Lindbergh with flight cap and goggles. Behind Lindbergh is the Spirit of St. Louis flying over water. Below Lindbergh are the words "Charles A. Lindbergh" The reverse of the medal commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1927 flight. Above the text is a small bird inside a circle.
On May 20-21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh literally flew into history when he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in his Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, thus becoming the first pilot to fly solo and nonstop from New York to Paris. This flight made Lindbergh a household name and catapulted him into fame and celebrity. The objects of popular culture in the National Collection display everything from ashtrays to wristwatches reflect the public adulation for Lindbergh and the powerful commercial response to his celebrity. More than 75 years after the Spirit's historic flight, Lindbergh's name still has the power help sell manufactured goods.