Alberto Santos Dumont (July 20, 1873 – July 23, 1932) was an early pioneer of aviation. He was born in, and died in, Brazil. Heir of a prosperous coffee producer family, Santos Dumont dedicated himself to science studies in Paris. Santos Dumont designed, built, and flew the first practical dirigible balloons. In doing so he became the first person to demonstrate that routine, controlled flight was possible. This "conquest of the air", in particular winning the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize on October 19, 1901 on a flight that rounded the Eiffel Tower, made him one of the most famous people in the world during the early 20th century. In addition to his pioneering work in airships, Santos Dumont made the first European public flight of an airplane on October 23, 1906. Designated 14-bis or Oiseau de proie (French for "bird of prey"), the flying machine was the first fixed-wing aircraft officially witnessed to take off, fly, and land. Santos Dumont is considered the "Father of Aviation" in his country of birth, Brazil. His flight is the first to have been certified by the Aero Club de France and the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI).

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