Aida de Acosta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aida de Acosta
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| Born |
Aida de Acosta
July 28, 1884 |
| Died | May 26, 1962 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Mrs. Oren Root Sr.; Mrs. Henry Breckinridge |
| Known for | First woman to fly a powered aircraft solo Founder of first U.S. eye institute Executive director of first U.S. eye bank |
| Spouse(s) |
Oren Root III
(m. 1908; div. 1922)Henry Breckinridge
(m. 1927; div. 1947) |
| Children | Oren Root IV Alva de Acosta Root |
| Parent(s) | Ricardo de Acosta Micaela Hernández de Alba y de Alba |
| Relatives | Rita de Acosta Lydig (sister) Mercedes de Acosta (sister) |
Aida de Acosta Root Breckinridge (born July 28, 1884 – died May 26, 1962) was an amazing American woman. She became famous for two big reasons. First, she was the very first woman to fly a motorized aircraft all by herself. This happened in 1903.
Later in her life, Aida lost sight in one eye because of a disease called glaucoma. This made her want to help others with their eyesight. She became a strong supporter of better eye care. She even helped start the first eye bank in America.
Contents
Aida de Acosta: A Pioneer in Flight and Eye Care
Her Early Life
Aida was born in 1884 in Elberon, a part of Long Branch, New Jersey. Her father, Ricardo de Acosta, was a steamship executive from Cuba. Her mother, Micaela Hernández de Alba y de Alba, came from a famous Spanish family.
Aida had seven brothers and sisters. Two of her sisters, Mercedes de Acosta and Rita de Acosta Lydig, also became well-known writers and socialites.
The Amazing Flight
In June 1903, when Aida was 19, she was in Paris with her mother. There, she met Alberto Santos-Dumont, a famous Brazilian aviator. He was known for flying his dirigible (a type of airship) around Paris. He would even park it outside his favorite restaurant!
Santos-Dumont showed Aida how to fly his personal dirigible, called "No. 9." She only had three lessons. Then, she flew the airship all by herself from Paris to Château de Bagatelle. Santos-Dumont followed her on his bicycle, shouting advice.
When she landed, Santos-Dumont was very impressed. He told her, "Miss, you are the first woman aero-driver in the world!" Aida was indeed the first woman to pilot any kind of motorized aircraft. This happened almost six months before the Wright brothers made their first flight in a heavier-than-air plane.
Her first flight ended on a polo field during a game. Spectators helped her out of the airship's basket. After watching some polo, Aida flew the dirigible back to Neuilly St. James. Her whole trip lasted about one and a half hours.
After the Flight
When Aida's parents heard about her flight, they were very upset. They worried that no man would want to marry a woman who had done something so daring. So, they kept her flight a secret for many years. Aida didn't tell the story until the 1930s.
Aida was the only person Santos-Dumont ever let fly one of his aircraft. He was a lifelong bachelor. He kept a photo of Aida on his desk for the rest of his life. However, it seems they did not stay in touch after her flight. Aida later said she "hardly knew the man."
Her Family Life
Aida de Acosta was married twice.
- In 1908, she married Oren Root III. He was the nephew of a famous American statesman, Elihu Root. They had two children: a son named Oren Root IV and a daughter named Alva de Acosta Root. Aida and Oren divorced in 1922.
- In 1927, she married Colonel Henry S. Breckinridge. They divorced in 1947.
Helping Others See: Eye Care Advocacy
In 1922, Aida developed glaucoma, an eye disease. She eventually lost sight in one eye. However, her eye doctor, William H. Wilmer, saved her other eye. This experience inspired Aida to help others with their vision.
She started a fundraising campaign that raised $3 million. This money helped create the Wilmer Eye Institute in Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1925. This was the first eye institute in the United States. In 1945, Aida became the executive director of the Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration in New York. This was the first eye bank in the U.S.
Later Years
Aida de Acosta died in Bedford, New York, in 1962. She was 77 years old.
