Age, Biography and Wiki
William Rankin was born on 16 October, 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, is a Survivor of fall through a thunderstorm cloud. Discover William Rankin's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 88 years old?
| Popular As |
N/A |
| Occupation |
N/A |
| Age |
88 years old |
| Zodiac Sign |
Libra |
| Born |
16 October 1920 |
| Birthday |
16 October |
| Birthplace |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
| Date of death |
6 July, 2009 |
| Died Place |
Oakdale, Pennsylvania, US |
| Nationality |
United States
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We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 16 October.
He is a member of famous with the age 88 years old group.
William Rankin Height, Weight & Measurements
At 88 years old, William Rankin height not available right now. We will update William Rankin's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.
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| Height |
Not Available |
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Not Available |
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Not Available |
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Not Available |
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Not Available |
Dating & Relationship status
He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.
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| Parents |
Not Available |
| Wife |
Not Available |
| Sibling |
Not Available |
| Children |
Not Available |
William Rankin Net Worth
His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is William Rankin worth at the age of 88 years old? William Rankin’s income source is mostly from being a successful . He is from United States. We have estimated William Rankin's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.
| Net Worth in 2024 |
$1 Million - $5 Million |
| Salary in 2024 |
Under Review |
| Net Worth in 2023 |
Pending |
| Salary in 2023 |
Under Review |
| House |
Not Available |
| Cars |
Not Available |
| Source of Income |
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William Rankin Social Network
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Timeline
Lieutenant Colonel William Henry Rankin (October 16, 1920 – July 6, 2009) was one of only two known persons to survive a fall from the top of a cumulonimbus thunderstorm cloud; the other was Ewa Wiśnierska.
He was a pilot in the United States Marine Corps and a World War II and Korean War veteran.
He was flying an F-8 Crusader jet fighter over a cumulonimbus cloud when the engine failed, forcing him to eject and parachute into the cloud.
Rankin wrote a book about his experience, The Man Who Rode the Thunder.
On July 26, 1959, Rankin was flying from Naval Air Station South Weymouth, Massachusetts, to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina.
He climbed over a thunderhead that peaked at 45000 ft; then—at 47000 ft and at mach 0.82—he heard a loud bump and rumble from the engine.
The engine stopped, and a fire warning light flashed.
He pulled the lever to deploy auxiliary power, and it broke off in his hand.
Though not wearing a pressure suit, at 6:00 pm he ejected into the -50 C air.
He suffered immediate frostbite, and decompression caused his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth to bleed.
His abdomen swelled severely.
He did, however, manage to make use of his emergency oxygen supply.
Five minutes after he abandoned the plane, his parachute had not opened.
While in the upper regions of the thunderstorm, with near-zero visibility, the parachute opened prematurely instead of at 10000 ft because the storm had affected the barometric parachute switch and caused it to open.
After ten minutes, Rankin was still aloft, carried by updrafts and getting hit by hailstones.
Violent spinning and pounding caused him to vomit.
Lightning appeared, which he described as blue blades several feet thick, and thunder that he could feel.
The rain forced him to hold his breath to keep from drowning.
One lightning bolt lit up the parachute, making Rankin believe he had died.
Conditions calmed, and he descended into a forest.
It had been 40 minutes since he had ejected.
He searched for help and eventually was admitted into a hospital at Ahoskie, North Carolina.
He suffered from frostbite, welts, bruises, and severe decompression.
Rankin wrote The Man Who Rode the Thunder about his experience; Floyd C. Gale called the book a "thrilling true adventure".
His story was covered in the March 2, 2017 episode of The Dollop Podcast.
