Lawrence Sperry Lawrence Sperry Lawrence Burst Sperry (21 December 1892, Chicago, Illinois, United States – December 13, 1923, English Channel) was an aviation pioneer. He was the third son of the gyrocompass co-inventor, Elmer Ambrose Sperry and his wife Zula. Sperry invented the first autopilot, which he demonstrated with startling success in France in 1914. Sperry is also credited with developing the artificial horizon still used on most aircraft in the early 21st century. On 13 December 1923 Sperry took off amid fog in a Verville-Sperry M-1 Messenger from the United Kingdom headed for France but never reached his destination. His body
The Mothers of Invention "Bongo Fury" in 1975, which featured live recordings from a tour the same year that had reunited him with Captain Beefheart for a brief period. They later became estranged for a period of years, but were in contact at the end of Zappa's life. "Bongo Fury" was the last new album to be credited to the Mothers. In 1993, Zappa released "Ahead of Their Time", an album of previously recorded material by the original Mothers of Invention lineup. The Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention were an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked