Thomas C Reitz (1908 - 2000)

Thomas' biography
This collaborative biography is for you to show & tell Thomas' life so that he is always remembered. What's this?
Ethnicity & Lineage
Nationality & Locations
Education
Religion
Baptism
Professions
Personal Life
Military Service
Average Age
Life Expectancy
View other bios of people named Thomas Reitz
Family Tree
Thomas's Family Tree
![]()
Partner
Child
Partner
Child
|
Sibling
|
Friends
Friends can be as close as family. Add Thomas' family friends, and his friends from childhood through adulthood.
Photos
Nobody has shared photos of Thomas C Reitz! Please help add a face to the name by sharing a photo of Thomas.
Comments
Leave a comment to ask questions, share information, or simply to show that you care about Thomas.
Obituary
Share Thomas' obituary or write your own to preserve his legacy.
1908 - 2000 World Events
Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Thomas' lifetime.
In 1908, in the year that Thomas C Reitz was born, Henry Ford developed the first Model T automobile, often called the Tin Lizzy or flivver. Produced from 1908 through 1927, it first sold for $850 - which made it affordable for every middle class family. Previously, cars were the province of the upper class and the introduction of the Model T and its availability changed U.S. culture. Within days of its release, over 15,000 cars had been ordered.
In 1921, by the time he was only 13 years old, on November 11th, the first burial was held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The body of an unknown soldier - selected by Army Sgt. Edward F. Younger who was highly decorated for valor and received the Distinguished Service Cross in "The Great War" - was brought back from France (World War 1) and placed in the newly completed tomb. President Warren G. Harding officiated at the interment ceremonies.
In 1932, by the time he was 24 years old, five years to the day after Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart flew solo from Newfoundland to Ireland, the first woman to cross the Atlantic solo and the first to replicate Lindbergh's feat. She flew over 2,000 miles in just under 15 hours.
In 1960, at the age of 52 years old, Thomas was alive when on September 26th, the first televised debate for a Presidential campaign in the United States - Kennedy vs Nixon - was held. Seventy million people watched the debate on TV. The debate pre-empted the very popular Andy Griffith Show.
In 1976, when he was 68 years old, on August 4th, a mysterious illness struck an American Legion convention in Philadelphia. Within a week, 25 people had died and 130 people had been hospitalized. It was the first known instance of what came to be called "Legionnaires Disease."