• Corrigan bought his plane secondhand for $310.

• Corrigan had asked the government for permission to fly across the Atlantic. They turned him down because they felt his plane wouldn’t make it.

• During the flight, gas began to leak so badly onto the floor inside the plane that he punched a hole in the floor with a screwdriver so the gas would drain out. He increased his speed to try to outrace the leak of fuel.

• Corrigan met the Irish prime minister the day after he landed. Hearing his story, the prime minister laughed so hard, he let him return to America even though he had shown up without a passport or permission.

• Though he faced a series of charges, his only punishment was having his pilot’s license taken away.

• The New York Post printed a front-page headline that read "Hail to Wrong Way Corrigan!” backwards!

• Over a million people came out to see his parade down Broadway, more than had attended Charles Lindbergh’s parade.

• Hollywood made a movie about his flight called The Flying Irishman.

• When asked by reporters to explain his flight, he said, “I guess I made a mistake.”