Milan Rastislav Štefánik

Milan Rastislav Stefanik suffered a tragic death on May 4, 1919 in a plane crash that also killed two Italian officers. The conspiracy surrounding the cause of the crash put a severe strain on relations between the Czechs and Slovaks.

In 1928 a monumental tomb in his honor was built on Bradlo, located in Brezová pod Bradlom.

The M.R. Stefanik airport in Bratislava is dedicated to his achievements as an aviator.

Milan Rastislav Stefanik was born on July 21, 1880 in Kosariska, Austria-Hungary, which is a part of modern-day Slovakia. He was one of the 13 children born to his parents, Pavol and Albertina. Two of his siblings died at an early age.

His father Pavol was a Lutheran pastor in the local community. He was a strong Slovak patriot and raised his children as such.

Milan suffered in school for his beliefs. Hungarian schools were biased towards Slovaks, and national law prohibited the formation of all-Slovak schools. He had to switch schools several times throughout his youth. His first school was the Evangelical Lyceum in Bratislava, where he began his studies in 1890.

He studied at the lyceum in Bratislava for three years. In 1893 he switched to a school in Sopron. He completed his secondary studies at a school in Szarvas in 1898. In the same year he moved to Prague and began studies in construction engineering.

In 1900, he shifted to Charles University. Here he studied Astronomy, philosophy, mathematics, and physics. He also built relationships with some of the most prominent professors in these disciplines.

Milan Rastislav Stefanik's time studying in Prague had a profound effect on the shape of his career. He wrote political texts regarding the struggle of the Slovaks. His professor's influence developed in him the idea of Czechs and Slovaks living in peaceful cooperation.

He got his first job in Astronomy at the recommendation of one of his professors. The job was at the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon in Paris, France.

Stefanik excelled at his role despite having a rudimentary knowledge of French. Pierre Janssen, director of the observatory and co-founder of Astrophysics, recognized his potential and served as a mentor throughout his career.

The Observatoire de Paris-Meudon was the world's most prestigious Astronomical institute, which meant Janssen's endorsement carried heavy weight.

Stefanik climbed Mount Blanc for the first time in 1905. Here he set up a study of Mars and the moon. In the same year he was part of an expedition to Spain that studied the solar eclipse.

His most significant contribution was his work as a diplomat. Through the founding of the Czechoslovak National Council he played an integral role in the establishment of Czechoslovakia as an independent nation.

He also contributed to the young nation's foreign policy during his short time as Minister of War. Stefanik's duties included smoothly navigating activities regarding troops on foreign soil.