On October 11, 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to fly in an airplane. The flight took place at an airfield near St. Louis, Missouri, with pilot Arch Hoxsey. The airplane was a fragile early biplane, and the short flight drew large crowds. Roosevelt’s willingness to fly showed his comfort with new technologies and his taste for adventure. The event helped publicize aviation at a time when airplanes were still rare and experimental. It also symbolized how political leaders began to rely on aircraft for travel and public appearances in later decades.
