PILOT
Chuck Yeager
1923 - 2020

Chuck Yeager
Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager ( YAY-gər, February 13, 1923 – December 7, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in October 1947 became the first pilot in history confirmed to have exceeded the speed of sound in level flight. Yeager was raised in Hamlin, West Virginia. His career began in World War II as a private in the United States Army, assigned to the Army Air Forces in 1941. After serving as an aircraft mechanic, in September 1942, he entered enlisted pilot training and upon graduation was promoted to the rank of flight officer (the World War II Army Air Force version of the Army's warrant officer), later achieving most of his aerial victories as a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot on the Western Front, where he was credited with shooting down 11.5 enemy aircraft. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Chuck Yeager is the 14th most popular pilot, the 2,000th most popular biography from United States (down from 1,711th in 2019) and the 5th most popular American Pilot.
Memorability Metrics
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Among PILOTS
Among pilots, Chuck Yeager ranks 14 out of 71. Before him are Adolf Galland, Ernst Udet, Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet, Francis Gary Powers, Ivan Kozhedub, and Hermann Graf. After him are Marina Raskova, Valery Chkalov, Mathias Rust, Joseph Kittinger, Amy Johnson, and René Fonck.
Most Popular Pilots in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsAdolf Galland
1912 - 1996
HPI: 71.11
Rank: 8
Ernst Udet
1896 - 1941
HPI: 70.41
Rank: 9
Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet
1892 - 1984
HPI: 68.73
Rank: 10
Francis Gary Powers
1929 - 1977
HPI: 67.72
Rank: 11
Ivan Kozhedub
1920 - 1991
HPI: 66.25
Rank: 12
Hermann Graf
1912 - 1988
HPI: 66.19
Rank: 13
Chuck Yeager
1923 - 2020
HPI: 65.85
Rank: 14
Marina Raskova
1912 - 1943
HPI: 65.03
Rank: 15
Valery Chkalov
1904 - 1938
HPI: 63.41
Rank: 16
Mathias Rust
1968 - Present
HPI: 63.34
Rank: 17
Joseph Kittinger
1928 - 2022
HPI: 62.79
Rank: 18
Amy Johnson
1903 - 1941
HPI: 62.55
Rank: 19
René Fonck
1894 - 1953
HPI: 62.33
Rank: 20
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1923, Chuck Yeager ranks 75. Before him are Cliff Robertson, Zlatko Čajkovski, Chaleo Yoovidhya, Walter M. Miller Jr., Norman Mailer, and Edgar F. Codd. After him are Hwang Jang-yop, Frederick Herzberg, Valentina Cortese, Conrad Bain, Yuriko, Princess Mikasa, and Lloyd Shapley. Among people deceased in 2020, Chuck Yeager ranks 96. Before him are Conchata Ferrell, Paul H. O'Neill, Ken Robinson, Momčilo Krajišnik, Kelly Preston, and Olof Thunberg. After him are Clive Cussler, Wilford Brimley, Mahmoud Jibril, Carl Reiner, Ida Haendel, and Gérard Houllier.
Others Born in 1923
Go to all RankingsCliff Robertson
ACTOR
1923 - 2011
HPI: 66.52
Rank: 69
Zlatko Čajkovski
SOCCER PLAYER
1923 - 1998
HPI: 66.24
Rank: 70
Chaleo Yoovidhya
BUSINESSPERSON
1923 - 2012
HPI: 66.20
Rank: 71
Walter M. Miller Jr.
WRITER
1923 - 1996
HPI: 66.12
Rank: 72
Norman Mailer
WRITER
1923 - 2007
HPI: 65.98
Rank: 73
Edgar F. Codd
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1923 - 2003
HPI: 65.91
Rank: 74
Chuck Yeager
PILOT
1923 - 2020
HPI: 65.85
Rank: 75
Hwang Jang-yop
POLITICIAN
1923 - 2010
HPI: 65.73
Rank: 76
Frederick Herzberg
PSYCHOLOGIST
1923 - 2000
HPI: 65.67
Rank: 77
Valentina Cortese
ACTOR
1923 - 2019
HPI: 65.51
Rank: 78
Conrad Bain
ACTOR
1923 - 2013
HPI: 65.51
Rank: 79
Yuriko, Princess Mikasa
POLITICIAN
1923 - 2024
HPI: 65.47
Rank: 80
Lloyd Shapley
MATHEMATICIAN
1923 - 2016
HPI: 65.42
Rank: 81
Others Deceased in 2020
Go to all RankingsConchata Ferrell
ACTOR
1943 - 2020
HPI: 66.15
Rank: 90
Paul H. O'Neill
POLITICIAN
1935 - 2020
HPI: 66.15
Rank: 91
Ken Robinson
WRITER
1950 - 2020
HPI: 66.03
Rank: 92
Momčilo Krajišnik
POLITICIAN
1945 - 2020
HPI: 65.95
Rank: 93
Kelly Preston
ACTOR
1962 - 2020
HPI: 65.93
Rank: 94
Olof Thunberg
ACTOR
1925 - 2020
HPI: 65.88
Rank: 95
Chuck Yeager
PILOT
1923 - 2020
HPI: 65.85
Rank: 96
Clive Cussler
WRITER
1931 - 2020
HPI: 65.82
Rank: 97
Wilford Brimley
ACTOR
1934 - 2020
HPI: 65.73
Rank: 98
Mahmoud Jibril
POLITICIAN
1952 - 2020
HPI: 65.66
Rank: 99
Carl Reiner
ACTOR
1922 - 2020
HPI: 65.65
Rank: 100
Ida Haendel
POLITICIAN
1928 - 2020
HPI: 65.64
Rank: 101
Gérard Houllier
COACH
1947 - 2020
HPI: 65.61
Rank: 102
In United States
Among people born in United States, Chuck Yeager ranks 2,000 out of 20,380. Before him are Joseph Greenberg (1915), Henry A. Wallace (1888), Rollo May (1909), Jean Arthur (1900), Néstor Carbonell (1967), and Jake LaMotta (1922). After him are Lucy Liu (1968), James Heckman (1944), River Phoenix (1970), Janet Gaynor (1906), Scott Hall (1958), and James Patterson (1947).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsJoseph Greenberg
LINGUIST
1915 - 2001
HPI: 65.87
Rank: 1,994
Henry A. Wallace
POLITICIAN
1888 - 1965
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 1,995
Rollo May
PSYCHOLOGIST
1909 - 1994
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 1,996
Jean Arthur
ACTOR
1900 - 1991
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 1,997
Néstor Carbonell
ACTOR
1967 - Present
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 1,998
Jake LaMotta
BOXER
1922 - 2017
HPI: 65.85
Rank: 1,999
Chuck Yeager
PILOT
1923 - 2020
HPI: 65.85
Rank: 2,000
Lucy Liu
ACTOR
1968 - Present
HPI: 65.85
Rank: 2,001
James Heckman
ECONOMIST
1944 - Present
HPI: 65.84
Rank: 2,002
River Phoenix
ACTOR
1970 - 1993
HPI: 65.84
Rank: 2,003
Janet Gaynor
ACTOR
1906 - 1984
HPI: 65.83
Rank: 2,004
Scott Hall
WRESTLER
1958 - 2022
HPI: 65.83
Rank: 2,005
James Patterson
WRITER
1947 - Present
HPI: 65.83
Rank: 2,006
Among PILOTS In United States
Among pilots born in United States, Chuck Yeager ranks 5. Before him are Charles Lindbergh (1902), Amelia Earhart (1897), Chesley Sullenberger (1951), and Francis Gary Powers (1929). After him are Joseph Kittinger (1928), Claire Lee Chennault (1890), Jacqueline Cochran (1906), Blanche Stuart Scott (1884), Bessie Coleman (1892), Wally Funk (1939), and Jerrie Cobb (1931).
Charles Lindbergh
1902 - 1974
HPI: 81.92
Rank: 1
Amelia Earhart
1897 - 1937
HPI: 77.69
Rank: 2
Chesley Sullenberger
1951 - Present
HPI: 74.99
Rank: 3
Francis Gary Powers
1929 - 1977
HPI: 67.72
Rank: 4
Chuck Yeager
1923 - 2020
HPI: 65.85
Rank: 5
Joseph Kittinger
1928 - 2022
HPI: 62.79
Rank: 6
Claire Lee Chennault
1890 - 1958
HPI: 61.70
Rank: 7
Jacqueline Cochran
1906 - 1980
HPI: 59.50
Rank: 8
Blanche Stuart Scott
1884 - 1970
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 9
Bessie Coleman
1892 - 1926
HPI: 57.43
Rank: 10
Wally Funk
1939 - Present
HPI: 55.32
Rank: 11
Jerrie Cobb
1931 - 2019
HPI: 54.00
Rank: 12