Raymond Orteig was a French-American hotelier, philanthropist and a man who had interests in the science of aviation. In 1919, he established the Orteig Prize, an amount of $25,000 for the first person who successfully performs a nonstop flight between New York and Paris. In a letter, he stated: “Gentlemen, as a stimulus to courageous aviators, I desire to offer, through the auspices and regulations of the Aero Club of America, a prize of $25,000 to the first aviator of any Allied country crossing the Atlantic in one flight from Paris to New York or New York to Paris, all other details in your care.”
On May 20th, 1927, Charles Lindbergh took the prize as he landed his Spirit of St. Louis successfully in Paris.
