German lieutenant and pilot (born 1890)

Max Immelmann

Max Immelmann PLM was a German World War I flying ace. He was a pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchronized gun, which was in fact achieved on 1 July 1915 by the German ace Kurt Wintgens. Immelmann was the first aviator to receive the Pour le Mérite, colloquially known as the "Blue Max" in his honour, being awarded it at the same time as Oswald Boelcke. His name has become attached to a common flying tactic, the Immelmann turn, and remains a byword in aviation.

Born

1890

September 21

Died

1916

Era

1890s

Country

—

About

Max, in brief

Max Immelmann PLM was a German World War I flying ace. He was a pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchronized gun, which was in fact achieved on 1 July 1915 by the German ace Kurt Wintgens. Immelmann was the first aviator to receive the Pour le Mérite, colloquially known as the "Blue Max" in his honour, being awarded it at the same time as Oswald Boelcke. His name has become attached to a common flying tactic, the Immelmann turn, and remains a byword in aviation.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

  1. 1890 Born
  2. 1916 Died

Also on September 21

What else happened on this day, through history

See all of September 21 →

The world in 1916

When Max departed

Read the year 1916 →

Same-day contemporaries

Also born on September 21

Abdul Hamid II 1842–1918 Ottoman sultan (born 1842) Don Dunstan 1926–1999 Australian lawyer and politician, 35th Premier of South Australia (born 1926) Doug Moe 1938– American basketball player and coach (died 2026) Ethan Coen 1957– American director, producer, and screenwriter Gustav Holst 1874–1934 English trombonist, composer, and educator (born 1874) Henry Gibson 1935–2009 American actor (born 1935) Howie Morenz 1902–1937 Canadian ice hockey player (born 1902) Israel Katz 1955– Israeli politician Johanna Vuoksenmaa 1965– Finnish director and screenwriter

See everything on September 21 →

Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1890

Agnes Macphail 1890–1954 Canadian educator and politician (born 1890) Aimee Semple McPherson 1890–1944 Canadian-American evangelist, founded the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (died 1944) Charles de Gaulle 1890–1970 French general and politician, President of France (died 1970) Conrad Richter 1890–1968 American journalist and novelist (died 1968) Harry Pollitt 1890–1960 British politician and Secretary General of the Communist Party of Great Britain (born 1890) Marjorie Main 1890–1975 American actress (born 1890) Marjory Stoneman Douglas 1890–1998 American journalist and activist (died 1998) Norman Bethune 1890–1939 Canadian soldier and physician (died 1939) Ronald Fisher 1890–1962 English-Australian statistician, biologist, and geneticist (died 1962)

Keep going

More to explore

Max's birthday September 21 Max's zodiac Virgo When Max departed 1916