Roland Garros (aviator)
Roland Garros | |
|---|---|
Roland Garros in front of a Demoiselle plane in 1910 | |
| Birth name | Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros |
| Born | 6 October 1888 Saint-Denis, Réunion, France |
| Died | 5 October 1918 (aged 29) Vouziers, Ardennes, France |
| Buried | Vouziers, France |
| Allegiance | France |
| Branch | French Air and Space Force |
| Awards | Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (1913) Officier de la Légion d'honneur (1918) |
| Alma mater | HEC Paris |
Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros (French pronunciation: [ʁɔlɑ̃ ɡaʁos]; 6 October 1888 – 5 October 1918) was a French aviation pioneer and fighter pilot. Garros began a career in aviation in 1909 and performed many early feats such as the first-ever airplane crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in 1913. He joined the French army and became one of the earliest fighter pilots during World War I. Garros was shot down and died on 5 October 1918. In 1928, the Roland Garros tennis stadium was named in his memory; the French Open tennis tournament officially takes the name of Roland Garros, which is held in this stadium.