One of Connecticut's most influential immigrates made his way to the United States on this day in 1919 --Igor Sikorsky, a Ukrainian-born man who has revolutionized aeronautics with his aircraft manufacturing facility in Stratford.
Sikorsky first made a name for himself after designing the fixed-winged aircraft in the early 20th century.
He would go on to invent the world's first practical helicopter.
According to
TodayinCTHistory.com, Sikorsky was born in Kiev in 1889, which was technically part of Russia at the time.
Sikorsky studied engineering at Paris, St. Petersburg and Kiev.
In 1939, he moved his business to Stratford where he flew the world’s first workable, practical helicopter come to be known as the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300.
Many decades later, the Sikorsky Aircraft corporation remains headquartered at Stratford.
Sikorsky is considered the world’s leading producer of military and commercial helicopters, with models used in all five branches of the U.S. military.