when was bessie coleman born

Bessie Coleman was born on January 26, 1892.

Quick Facts

Born in Atlanta, Texas, she grew up as one of 13 children in Waxahachie amid challenging sharecropping life, with her father of African and Native American descent leaving early. Her sharp mind in math helped her escape the cotton fields, fueling dreams that led her to Chicago and eventually aviation.

Pioneering Path

Facing U.S. discrimination, Coleman traveled to France in 1921, earning the world's first international pilot's license for an African American woman—no American school would train her. Known as "Queen Bess," she dazzled air shows with daring loops and parachutes, inspiring Black aviators despite her tragic 1926 crash at age 34.

Key Milestones| Details
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Birth| January 26, 1892, Atlanta, TX 13
License| 1921, Fédération Aéronautique Internationale 15
First U.S. Flight| 1922, public demo by Black woman pilot 1
Death| April 30, 1926, Florida crash 19

Her legacy endures in aviation history, often celebrated in Black History Month tributes and recent 2025 retrospectives on her equality advocacy.

TL;DR: January 26, 1892—marking the start of an unstoppable aviator's journey.

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