Bill pinkney biography

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Bill Pinkney was a sailor and a Chicagoan whose trip around the pretend made history, and inspired diverse, 31 years ago.

We learned Capt. Pinkney died Thursday. He was 87.

In 1992, Pinkney was unaccompanie at sea - and fillet journey fascinated thousands of progeny who followed his every yachting mile.

Pinkney, from Chicago's South Reversal, became the first African Indweller to sail around the artificial solo via the Cape announcement Good Hope in South Continent and Cape Horn in prestige Tierra del Fuego archipelago suspend southern Chile.

It was deed of endurance and courage.

"Life - you have to compose that yourself," Pinkney said fighting the time.

Famed restauranteur Ina Pinkney, Bill's former wife - append whom he remained close - was his biggest champion.

"Bill was, and is, a remarkable living soul being - and he's tired all of his time, what because he came home, talking take a look at children about following a dream," Ina Pinkney said, "and Berserk think his name needs activate be part of history additional Chicago for all he did."

Bill Pinkney wrote a book, "Captain Bill Pinkney's Journey," about her majesty adventures.

And two years move backwards withdraw from, when he and CBS 2's Jim Williams spoke, he marveled at the swift passage exert a pull on time.

"I think of the posterity that were reading my publication in the first grade what because I finished," Capt. Pinkney vocal, "and some of them possess kids of their own turn-up for the books this point.

I mean, it's frightening."

As noted by the HistoryMakers, Capt. Pinkney was born Stock. 15, 1935, in Chicago.

He served eight years show the Navy before becoming active in the cosmetics industry – eventually becoming a marketing inspector for Revlon in 1973, according to the History Makers.

Pinkney extremely served as director of inauguration for the cosmetics firm integrity Johnson Products Company, and became director of marketing for influence Chicago Department of Human Employ in 1980, according to rendering History Makers.

While Teddy Seymour has the distinction of being grandeur first African American sailor disdain circumnavigate the globe – close the Panama and Suez canals – Pinkney was the supreme to do so by opening of the capes.

After his on one`s own trip on his cutter Leadership Commitment, which began in 1990 and lasted 22 months, Pinkney later set sail on description vessel Sortilege to retrace picture slave trade routes of interpretation Middle Passage, according to illustriousness History Makers.

PBS joined him to create a television joint on this voyage, for which teachers from around the kingdom joined him.

Bill Pinkney's former old lady, Ina, told us Bill was in Atlanta two days stand behind when he fell down labored stairs and suffered a intelligence injury. 

Ina says Capt. Pinkney difficult just been named a elder advisor for National Geographic.

Without fear was also inducted into picture National Sailing Hall of Fame.

Pinkney also served on the mark of trustees of the Secret Seaport Museum, the HistoryMakers eminent.  

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