Thirty-One Days of Italians

The purpose of this website is to educate others about the significant contributions that those of Italian heritage have made to America. Biographies range from one to several paragraphs providing an overview, and links to a collection of selected resources are provided for more in-depth research. The information is intended to be shared and distributed; however, the work in this website is a result of massive hours of researching, organizing, creating, and writing. If you use any of the information on this website, please give proper credit by citing Thirty-One Days of Italians and adding a link to this website. Thank you.

AVIATION

Francis Rogallo (1912-2009) At seven years old, Frances Rogallo knew he wanted to fly. After graduating from Sanford University with a degree in aeronautical engineering, Rogallo worked as an engineer for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which became NASA in 1958. Both Rogallo and his wife Gertrude enjoyed flying kites, and the idea took hold of flying through the air supported by flexible fabric wings. On his own time, Rogallo and Gertrude worked on the design at home, calling it a “Parawing;” using curtains for the wing, and constructing a wind tunnel in their home to test the wing. In appreciation for his wife’s work, Rogallo applied for the patent in 1948 in her name; the application was granted in 1951. Commonly known as the Rogallo Wing, his invention earned him the title "father of modern hang gliding," and caught the attention of NASA engineers who were looking to facilitate astronauts landing back on earth from space. Research into the Parasev (Paraglider Research Vehicle) 1-A began, but due to a lack of funding or a tight time frame (the Gemini Program was in the works), the use of the Rogallo wing in space travel was abandoned. The Rogallos decided to share their invention with the public and the Rogallo Wing was adapted for commercial use in hang gliders and kites. Rogallo and Gertrude retired to the North Carolina shore, near Kitty Hawk, in 1970. He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1992, the Rogallo Foundation was established to hold and safeguard the collections of documents and artifacts resulting from the Rogallos’ work. Both were inducted into the First Flight Society in 1995. Gertrude died in 2008. In February 2023, the Foundation entered into an agreement “to assist in the production of a television documentary [Wingman] about aviation pioneer Francis Rogallo.” In June 2023, PBS NC endorsed the project, stating it would “premiere the documentary and help distribute it nationally through PBS broadcast and streaming platforms.” The foundation is currently raising funds or the project. The Rogallo Kite Festival – held on the Outer Banks near Kitty Hawk – has been held every year since 1982 to “celebrate Francis Rogallo and his many accomplishments.” Francis and Gertrude Rogallo First Flight Society: Francis and Gertrude Rogallo The Genius of Rogallo’s Wing NEW Parasev 1-A The Paraglider That NASA Could Have Used [Smithsonian Magazine] The Rogallo Foundation NEW Wingman: The Francis Rogallo Story Happy Birthday, Francis Rogallo! Father Of Hang Gliding Remembered History of Hang Gliding NEW North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame NEW Annual Rogallo Kite Festival

Vincent Justus Burnelli (1895-1964) Vincent Burnelli was an innovator in the early years of aviation in the United States. Within a decade of the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, Burnelli was designing aircraft for a quicker lift, saving fuel and allowing for shorter runways. Born in Texas, Burnelli moved east and attended St. Peter’s College in New Jersey, before it closed in the aftermath of World War I in 1918. (The college reopened in 1930 and became St. Peter’s University in 2012.) Burnelli experimented with gliders first, and by the time he was twenty, he and his friend, John Carisi, had built an open biplane, based on Burnelli’s design. Burnelli worked as chief designer and chief engineer for several aircraft companies, and sought a government contract to design airplanes during World War I. The design was not purchased, but he did sell the airplane to the New York City Police Department to use for aerial surveillance. During this time, he established Burnelli Aircraft and continued to design lifting-body airplanes, owning over 90 United States and foreign patents, among them “the lifting body principle of design,” “the breakaway leading edge in combination with high-lift flaps,” and “the end-plating of the wing-tips (now called winglets).” Burnelli again approached the federal government for a design contract during World War II, but his efforts were overlooked. In 1944, he received the Fawcett Honor Award for his “Major Contributions to the Scientific Advancement of Aviation.” Numerous models using Burnelli’s designs were manufactured, and currently one model – CBY-3, has been restored and is on display at the New England Air Museum in Connecticut. Although Burnelli’s accomplishments are sometimes overlooked, those who acknowledge his contributions to aviation have very high esteem for his work. John Carisi Burnelli Aircraft  Burnelli History Burnelli, Vincent Justus: Career and Inventions  The Contributions of Vincent Justus Burnelli [PDF] Vincent J. Burnelli and His Flying Fuselage Fawcett Aviation Award 1944 Burnelli CBY-3 [New England Air Museum] The Burnelli Controversy Vincent J. Burnelli, His Flying Fuselage, and the Conspiracy Theories A Safe Design That Went Nowhere

2022-2023 List of Names

2023-2024 List of Names