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Around the World in 20 Days

Around the World in 20 Days
Dates30 September–19 October 1936

Around the World in 20 Days was an informal race around the world held in autumn of 1936. The competition started on September 30[1] in New York City and the participants were allowed using only commercial airline flights[2] and other means of transportation available to the general public.[3] The competition finished[4] on October 19 as the winner arrived back to New York City after merely 18 ½ days.

Background

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Kilgallen

The contest was to show that travel by air no longer was exclusive, timeconsuming and expensive but was accessible och affordable to a broader public.[1] Earlier round the world trips as Jules Vernes fictive journey in Around the World in Eighty Days published in 1873 and Nellie Blys actual journey wich she made and later described in Around the World in Seventy-Two Days published in 1890 were made before the indroduction of aircraft.

The timing of the race was handled by the National Aeronautic Association[1] and the race started on the evening of September 30.

The Contestants

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All participants were working as journalists at daily newspapers[5] in New York.

During the race all three participants sent daily posts[4] by telegram about the journey to their respective newspapers for further spreading. Kilgallens participation was noticed especially being the sole female.

The Race

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airship Hindenburg

The race started on September 30,[5] Kieran went to Newark Airport to take an "American Airlines" flight to Lakehurst in New Jersey. There all three participants joined on the "Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei" rigid airship LZ 129 Hindenburg[5] for the flight to Flug- und Luftschiffhafen Rhein-Main in Frankfurt, Germany. The journey across the Atlantic Ocean took 58 hours and the Hindenburg landed on October 3, but being 4 hours delayed[7]) the participants all missed their planned connections jeopardizing the crucial connection at Manila for the journey across the Pacific Ocean. Ekins now chose a flight to Vienna, Kieran decided on a flight to Basel and Kilgallen boarded a flight to Munich.

Douglas DC-2, PH-AJU
Douglas DC-2, inside

Ekins, now choosing a different route to reach Manila, took a "Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij" DC-2 flight[3] via Vienna to Athens, Greece, There transfering on to a flight via Alexandria and Gaza to Baghdad, Iraq where he stayed overnight. From Baghdad he continued across the Indian subcontinent (stop-over overnight Jodhpur) and Southeast Asia (stop-over overnight Rangoon) until arriving at Batavia, Dutch East Indies. During this leg of the race some parts of the route were piloted by aviation pioneer Jan Hondong. At Batavia Ekins now switched to the "Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij" flight to Manila via Balikpapan,[8] Indonesia and Zamboanga finally arriving in Manila, Philippines on October 10.

Imperial Airways flightroutes

Kieran and Kilgallen rejoined in Brindisi, Italy after using various means of transport[1] (airplane, train and automobile). Kieran and Kilgallen now boarded a flight to Athens[4] where they switched to a "Imperial Airways" flight across the Near East (with stop-overs in Rutbah Wells, Basra and Baghdad, Iraq) and across the British Raj (stop-overs[8] Karachi, Jodhpur, Delhi, Calcutta and Rangoon) to Bangkok (at the time Siam). On arrival in Bangkok Kilgallen split from Kieran choosing a different route to reach Hong Kong. On arrival in Hong Kong Kieran and Kilgallen obtained information that Ekins had left Manila already on October 14 on an irregularly "Pan American" Martin M-130 testflight carrying no passagengers,[2] the "Hawaii Clipper",[3] by pretending[6] to be part of the crew (even so the route being the same they considered this a violation of the rules[9]). Kieran and Kilgallen left Hongkong on the "Dollar Steamship Line" steamship SS President Pierce[8] for Manila. Their flight across the Pacific Ocean was scheduled first on October 17.

China Clipper
China Clippers flightroutes

Kieran and Kilgallen left Manilla on the first regular "Pan American"[6] west to east bounded passenger flight of the flying boat-line,[10] the Martin M-130 "China Clipper", destined for San Francisco. This long stage included four stop-overs (the islands of Guam, Wake, Midway and Hawaii). During the flight[4] Kieran and Kilgallen were delayed further[11] due to a typhoon at Wake island. The duo arrived in Honolulu on October 22[1] before continuing to San Francisco.

Ekins had left Hawaii already on October 17 arriving in San Francisco (Alameda airport) on the 18:th and there boarding a "United Airlines" flight from Oakland) (1 stop-over) to Los Angeles. After switching to a "Trans World Airlines" flight (5 stop-overs) Ekins arrived in Newark[2] on October 19.

In San Francisco Kieran[12] also boarded a "United Airlines" flight arriving in Newark at 9:07 o'clock a.m. on October 25 and finally reaching The New York Times Building near Times Square at 10:50 o'clock a.m. Kilgallen boarded a chartered[12] flight at Almeda airport leaving one hour ahead of Kieran arriving in Newark at 5:45 o'clock a.m. Kieran however completed the trip around the World using only[11] scheduled airlines and transportation, the journey from Honolulu to Newark Airport by scheduled airlines was a record-breaking trip covering 5 281 mi in 39 hr. and 20 min.

The total distance[3] traveled was calculated to being 25 794 mi (about 41 511 km, the total time[5][4][12][6] traveled for Ekins was 18 days, 14 hr. and 56 min, Kilgallens amounted to 24 days 12 hr. and 35 min with Kieran finishing at 24 days, 14 hr. and 20 min.

Aftermath

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A reception was held for Kieran and Kilgallen at New York City Hall[13] on October 26 hosted by Mayor La Guardia.

Kilgallen wrote a book about the race titled Girl Around the World and published by David McKay Company[14] of Philadelphia in 1936. The book is credited as the story idea for the Warner Bros. Pictures 1937 movie[15] Fly-Away Baby released in the US on June 19.

Ekins later also wrote a book about the race titled Around the world in eighteen days and how to do it published[16] by Longmans, Green and Co of New York in the same year.

2001 the adventure reality competition The Amazing Race first aired in the US.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Moments and Milestones: Once Around, Smithsonian /smithsonianmag.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  2. ^ a b c d Columnists: Yesterday’s Globe-Trotter, Time /time.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  3. ^ a b c d Journalists Race Round-the-World Round-the-Clock, Round-the-World Flights /wingnet.org (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  4. ^ a b c d e The Original Amazing Race, Smithsonian /smithsonianmag.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  5. ^ a b c d The Press: World Stunt, Time /time.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  6. ^ a b c d Letters, Nov. 9, 1936, Time /time.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  7. ^ Racing Round The World, Kalgoorlie Miner, 6 Oct 1936, p7 /trove.nla.gov.au (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  8. ^ a b c Ekins reaches Dutch Borneo, San Pedro News Pilot, Nr 187, 9 Oct 1936, p2 /cdnc.ucr.edu (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  9. ^ Round-The-World Race, Sydney Morning Herald, 19 Oct 1936, p10 /trove.nla.gov.au (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  10. ^ Pan Am Across the Pacific, The PanAm Clippers /clipperflyingboats.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  11. ^ a b Trip around World Ends on 24th Day, NY Times, 26 Oct 1936 /nytimes.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  12. ^ a b c Girl Reporter Also Back, NY Times, 26 Oct 1936 /nytimes.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  13. ^ World Air Travellers welcomed by Mayor, NY Times, 27 Oct 1936 /nytimes.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  14. ^ Girl around the world, Open Library /openlibrary.org (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  15. ^ Fly Away Baby, Internet Movie Database /imdb.com (accessdate 8 august 2025)
  16. ^ Around the world in eighteen days and how to do it, World Cat /worldcat.org (accessdate 8 august 2025)
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