The Seymour Library welcomes the historian and author John Cilio. He is a skilled aviation historian focusing on mid-twentieth-century general aviation, military aircraft and the people who made that possible.

Mr. Cilio will share in this in-person talk fascinating tales spanning 17 decades. Despite being a small state, Connecticut has proven to be a major player and takes central importance in providing the global aviation community with critical engines, instruments, technologies and more. Connecticut firsts in aviation innovation include Gustave Whitehead flying a powered airplane in Fairfield on August 14, 1901, beating the Wright Brothers by more than two years. Or that Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Corporation was established in Hartford in 1925 and a few years after that Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation headed by Igor Sikorsky moved to Stratford, Connecticut. Come to learn more in a fun, fact-filled virtual presentation.

This is an in-person event and no registration is needed to attend the talk. For more information, please call the Library at 203-888-3903. To find out more about John Cilio please go to his website www.vintageflyer.com.