Bessie Coleman, Barnstorming Pioneer 

Thank you History Guy . My daughter is a professional pilot for a large airline. This is a big name in our house .

Please never stop educating people!!

You hear over and over of the same Africa Americans this month. It is nice to hear a retelling of a life that more often should be reviewed. What a refreshing telling of history that deserves to be remembered.

As an attorney for 30 years, and around aircraft since I was a wee tike, finally getting my license and ratings when I could afford to, I can't tell you how this touched my heart and soul. When I saw Bessie's picture at 11:00 after you described how the end came, I had to stand up and salute with tears running down my face.

I have driven down Bessie Coleman Dr. in Chicago a gazillion times and never knew the full story. Thanks for filling in the blanks. What an inspiration!

I have got both my niece(9) and nephew(10) hooked on this channel.

A good story HG, but sad indeed. She seemed to be a cool gal with guts.

I've been fascinated with aviation since I was a child in the 70s. I fly for a living. I am ashamed to say that despite all my trips down the aviation rabbit hole, I had never heard of Bessie Coleman. Thank you, HG.

You found a great story that didn't involve pirates.

An amazing and inspiring life. Definitely one of your best episodes. Even though I knew her story and knew how she would leave us, as you told her tale, I was still rooting for her to survive, to go on, to go further and accomplish more. But it was not to be her fate was the same, and I was heartbroken again that humanity had lost so much without noticing, as we often do.

Not sure I have a lot to offer here beyond, "Wow" Thanks so much for telling this story of a woman everyone would do well to emulate.

What an outstanding woman. A spirit that strong should not be forgotten, Good story history guy !

What an inspiring American hero: definitely amounted to something. One has to wonder: had she lived longer, what other tremendous contributions to human progress would she have made?

This wonderful woman knew the power of a dream. She didn't get what she desired; she got what she expected. What an inspiring tribute to this great visionary, Bessie Coleman. Thank you Hg and Mrs HG! You are the best!

Bessie Coleman, Eugene Bullard have always been heros to me.

This Black History is a history I've known all my life being a resident of Jacksonville, FL. Thank you for sharing this history on Bessie Coleman.

Thanks for this one, I've never heard the story before. Someone should make a movie about her life!

One hell of a lady! Determined, courageous, a dreamer from childhood. Wish I’d known of her when my Dad was alive; he was a small plane pilot before he was married.

The museum at Le Crotoy on the Baie de la Somme has an exhibit on her time there.

She's beautiful. Look at those eyes.

Until today I had never even heard the name of Bessie Coleman thank you so much for this bit of history deserves to be remembered!

Always an excellent presentation of history! Best way to start the day.

What a beautiful yet tragic story. Thanks, History Guy

I frequently wonder to what heights human endeavors might soar, if we could only escape the curses of ignorance, fear and prejudice. Thanks for telling us of one brave soul who did.

yay! I love the history guy channel. Please Please dont ever stop making these history videos!

Excellent story, HG! Bessie Coleman did indeed amount to something. She was inspired, determined, courageous, talented, and gorgeous!

Heart warming story. Sad she passed before her dreams were fulfilled

She was an amazingly brave woman. At O’Hare airport in Chicago, there is a Bessie Coleman Way in her memory.

Bessie taught us all something....If you want to look down, keep your belt on, and roll the aircraft to whichever side you're interested in. God bless you Sister.

Bessie Coleman, grit and determination!!! An American original, an inspiration to all humanity!!

Great episode THG! Poncho Barnes is another great lady aviator with an interesting life and historic connection to the early jet age test pilots near Edwards AFB.

Heroes and trail blazers of today have nothing on this lady. So proud that she was our hero, an American. Thanks so much for this story.

I've decided to educate myself on one black leader/influencer/pioneer everyday this month to celebrate black history month. I can't believe I've never heard of Bessie. What an inspirational story. Thank you for sharing.

Possibly your best episode yet (and that's a high bar). She is definitely some that deserves to be remembered.

I read about Bessie Coleman 20 years ago. Thank you for doing this video which is added so much more additional information, That I did not know.

Got my eyes all wet. Thank you HG for reminding us of things that otherwise would be lost.

Thank you for sharing Bessie’s story with us 💜

Thank you Bessie!! ❤️ A true pioneer!!

Thanks for all the work you do in keeping these stories alive in our collective memory!

Great job, History Guy. Love this one ❤ Thank you for continuing to share! 👍

Damn, you made me cry. What an awe-inspiring woman!

What a terrific story ! Thank you so much.

At age 16 my grandmother took her first airplane ride on a dare. That was in 1917. While she never developed a love for aviation, my Dad did. He even once restored a 1929 Curtiss Robin (shown in my logo). Roscoe Turner once contacted him about purchasing it. I don't know what became of that letter.

Thank you History guy. What an amazing woman.

Rip Bessie Colman you beautiful Soul you.

Wow. How powerful this episode was. Bravo!

Here's another noteworthy person that I've never heard of before. Thank you, History Guy, for enlightening me.

I need to stop being surprised, History Guy does it again. 👍

Thank you for these amazing lessons.

Yes this is history that needs to be remembered.

I have admired Bessie Coleman for a long time. She was a true American hero and a pioneer, blazing a trail for others to follow. Truly inspirational.

I truly thank you for this episode. Also, I live about two hours away from Chicago, but plan to fly from O'Hare soon, and I assure you I will visit her to lay flowers, down a shot, and leave an empty shot glass, a full one, and the remainder of the bottle, as on does to recognize a noble fighter.

First! Happy to watch every new video, this guy is so entertaining and informative. Keep up the good work!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU; I've waited for this one for a while. No I haven't seen it yet except for the thumbnail but I know it will be good.

Even after a bachelors degree and a year of graduate school as a history major the History Guy still has so much to teach me. I love this channel!

Sad ending to such a Great Pioneer. R.I.P.

Might be your best script to date. Thank you, Mr and Mrs History Guy.

What an inspirational program for Black History Month!

Another in your long series of fascinating, enthusiastic, engaging presentations that lift "history" out of the mundane and elevate it to the extraordinary. I ran across your series in a WWII blog and I was immediately hooked. I had planned a life of history from grade school before becoming side tracked by music in college - yet I always remained devoted to its siren song. You made a nearly 2 week hospital stay endurable and inspired a nightly ritual in my quest to watch all of your segments 4-5 at a time. Each night I looked forward to the historical delights that awaited, a rich smorgasbord of quirky and often moving snippets of the most heroic and mundane episodes of the human endeavor and I was never disappointed, until tonight. Oh, it wasn't your features that disappointed tonight, it was the completion of my quest, starting with The Utah Navy and ending with Bessie Coleman. It wasn't the accomplishment of experiencing all of The History Guy, that was a joy. What disappoints is that tomorrow there will be no more Snippets of Forgotten History to explore, led by the deft, articulate, sure hand of THG. Alas. . . Thank you for one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences of my life of nearly 70 years. Not only have you informed, you have delighted, cheered, inspired, and often moved me to tears. You inspired me to learn more about my father, who was wounded in the lead up to the Battle of the Bulge near Nancy, France near the ancestral homeland of Alsace, an uncle's experiences aboard a destroyer in the Aleutians, my father-in-law's experience as a radio operator on B-25s in North Africa and Italy doubling as a mess Sgt who used to cook breakfast for Ike. My father watching the construction of the Gateway Arch from his hospital bed in the VA hospital still having shrapnel removed from his body nearly 20 later. Thank you.

Your the best..... these are the kind of great Americans we need to be like, thanks for the great story's

Excellent history lesson that hasn’t been lost to prejudices. Thank you History Guy and please keep them coming. Best 15-20 of my day!!

Great story, thank you, HG.

She is buried in a cemetery in my hometown and for the first time in my life I will visit her gravesite and salute her and her memory.

What an incredible woman and pilot!

Yet another awesome story THG! Bravo! Thank you for all that you do.

Never knew about her everyone just talks about Amelia.

Excellent show. I knew of Miss Coleman, but really did not know her story. What a frightful way to die, but what a glorious career she had leading up to that. One can only wonder what might have happened had she lived. CAVU and calm skies, Miss Coleman.

So inspiring and sad at the same time. Thank God for those who are to dream boldly when all the odds are against them.

Pilot friends and myself often have breakfast at Bessie’s Diner at the Janesville, WI airport. Great food and great service.

Thank you for putting this on.

This Playlist chokes me up, with admiration, repeatedly

i really do enjoy your show. I would love to see something about the northern Colorado labor wars. I had family invoked and it is facinating. There is also the Chinese Massacre in Rock Springs Wyoming, also fascinating stuff. Thank you for all your work

Great story very well told, thank you for bringing it to us. Keep up the good work.

I learnt to fly on tail daggers from a farm strip. Mostly in Auster 5 G-APTU. I can tell you that learning this way is not the favourite for ab initio students. At least my instructor was sitting next to me (behind me in the Cub, G-AJAP) in an enclosed cockpit. Many are called, but few are chosen. Very remarkable lady.

Thanks again for such a varied groups of subjects - all presented quite well!

If THG needed proof that he thoroughly researches his stories, he did it for sure in this one. I grew up in Waxahachie, TX and still reside nearby. There are not many people outside the county that pronounce it correctly. Way to go!!!! Awesome story, she definitely deserves to be remembered.

Bessie you are amazing. Thank you HG for reminding us about some great dreamers and achievers.

Very cool story. I am so glad I got to hear it. I have driven down Bessie Colman drive in Chicago many times on the way to the airport and never knew the significance of the name. Thanks.

Wow, what a gal!..If that people could catch that spirit these days of those from the past who "went for it", had a desire, and a dream and and wouldn't let go etc..Thank you for sharing another part of history most of us had never heard of..

Incredible history that I'm glad you are sharing so we all will know more about her. I've seen the name around for years but I didn't know much about her.

This is why I love this channel. I learn so much about things I've never heard about. What a spunky beautiful woman, thanks.

God bless Ms. Coleman.

That was one of the nicest but very sad videos you have produced. What an amazing lady.

Wow. Bessie was a brave champion person Outstanding video cheers from Australia

Wow, she was so beautiful, from her soul to her smile. The world is a better place due to her.

Great story! Nicely done.

A very interesting and enjoyable story. Thanks for that. It is sad that she never got to see her flying school but even now she is inspiring others to follow her. Our local flying heroine is Amy Johnson who was a contemporary of Bessie's. In 1930 she became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, some 11,000 miles. In July 1931, she and co-pilot Jack Humphreys became the first people to fly from London to Moscow in one day, completing the 1,760 miles (2,830 km) journey in approximately 21 hours. From there, they continued across Siberia and on to Tokyo, setting a record time for Britain to Japan. Just like Bessie she also died young. On 5 January 1941, while flying an Airspeed Oxford Johnson went off course in adverse weather conditions. Reportedly out of fuel, she bailed out as her aircraft crashed into the Thames Estuary near Herne Bay. A ship from a convoy in the area did try to rescue her. The crew of the vessel threw ropes out to Johnson but she was unable to reach them and was lost under the ship.

When I hear a story like this about someone who achieved so much with everything against them it makes me feel like shaking some sense into those fortunate enough to have the opportunity that being born today presents and often give up so easily

I love your channel and watch all of your Videos. It's a rare thing to get information in this Day and Age that isn't tainted with negitive Political Agendas. Thanks for your contribution to my day.

Thanks for another FANTASTIC piece of history !

Another solid presentation, Tool control procedures are now mandatory in the industry. Thank you, Sir.

Thank you for this episode!

These are the stories that are tears in that they worked so hard and in the end never seen their dreams.

Thank you for a history lesson that should be remembered !

Wow! What a story! One of the very best. Fantastic choice. Well done.

Thanks for this video! Definitely history that deserves to be remembered.

What a great story! An inspiring life that did indeed amount to something. Thank you for sharing!

One of you best videos sir. Thank you.

Wow! she was amazing, one question I have is I wonder if the spot from her final landing is marked somehow with a memorial or something does anyone know where it is?

Very good. Thank you sir, Cheers, Russ