William Edward Boeing

Boeing, William Edward (1881–1956), U.S. industrialist and founder of the Boeing Aircraft Company, a firm specializing in large commercial and military aircraft. Boeing helped carry the world's first international airmail in one of his planes in 1919. In the post-World War I and World War II periods, his company gained worldwide importance with the development of various kinds of military aircraft. The company currently produces some of the most widely used jet aircraft in commercial aviation, including the Boeing 707 and the famous jumbo jet, the Boeing 747.