Who was James Gordon Bennett?
James Gordon Bennett, American newspaper publisher. He was born in Keith, Scotland. Bennett moved to Nova Scotia in 1819 and later to the United States. After working for several newspapers, he published the first issue of the New York Herald in May 1835. The newspaper was enormously successful. The New York Herald was the first American newspaper to use telegraphy extensively in reporting, to use foreign correspondents, to illustrate news articles, to publish editorials critical of all political parties, and to print financial news from Wall Street. Gordon Bennett, after whom the competition is named, started the first of these competitions in Paris on September 30, 1906. The first winner of the event was an American, Lieutenant Frank P. Lahm. He and his co-pilot flew more than 400 miles to the northeast coast of England. Remember son, many a good story has been ruined by over verification.
