No other guesses? Time for another clue:
Looking for a pilot in this case
1) This aviation pioneer was self taught
2) He made history less than a year after learning to fly
3) He was killed in a crash less than a year later
4) He was posthumously awarded a flying medal for the feats he previously performed
5) In his first "history making" flight, he actually damaged his plane
6) His flight lasted only 2.5 miles
7) He fatally crashed in the southeastern part of his home country
8) His fatal crash was only two days short of his 25th birthday
Good Luck