Dates

• Usage: 1883 - 1912

Biographical Note

Hubert Latham was a French aviation pioneer.

Hubert Latham was born on January 10, 1883 in Paris, France into a wealthy and well-connected family. In 1903, he attended attended Balliol College at the University of Oxford for a year, then completed his French military service training. Over February 11 and 12, 1905, he accompanied his cousin Jacques Faure, a ballonist, on a night-time balloon crossing of the English Channel.

After seeing Wilbur Wright demonstrate flying in France, his interest was piqued. In February 1909, he joined the Antoinette aviation company and was taught to fly. Latham then participated in various races and meets, earning fame and recognition. He also set several records, including being the first person to try to cross the English Channel in an airplane and being the first to land an airplane on a body of water.

In December 1911, Latham went on an expedition in the then-French Congo, possibly to assess new air field locations. On June 25, 1912, just a few months into the expedition, he was killed. The official report stated his cause of death as mauling by a wounded buffalo. However other sources contest this, stating that his injuries did not match an animal mauling. Some people thought he was murdered, possibly for his rifles, but it was never proven. Latham was originally buried in Fort Lamy (present-day N'djamena, capital city of Chad), but was later disinterred and moved to the family plot in Le Havre, France.

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