The year was 1910, just seven years after the
Wright Brothers made the first-ever flight near
Kitty Hawk; just two years after Henry Ford introduced the
Model-T automobile, and the same year that the Boy Scouts
of America were founded.
The air show was held on January 10-20, near what is now
California State University at Dominguez Hills.
The Great Air Meet proved to be a spectacular success;
it attracted huge crowds of over 175,000 people to the Carson hilltop. (In 1910, that number represented more than half of the entire population of Los Angeles!)
Early airplanes from all over the world converged at Dominguez Hills, filling the skies and engaging in thrilling air races and exhibitions. For most Californians, it was their first opportunity to see a
"flying machine", and the public was fascinated.
Los Angelenos' fascination with aviation never waned -
the greater Los Angeles region went on to become one of the central hubs in the aerospace industry, the home to Boeing, Douglas, Lockheed, Northrop, and one of the busiest international airports in the world.