Hubert Fauntleroy Julian was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1897. His father, Henry, was a cocoa plantation manager in Toco. Julian saw his first airplane in January 1913, during an exhibition flight. After World War I, he left his home to go to Canada. In November 1920, he flew for the first time with Billy Bishop. Soon after, he designed and patented an "Aeroplane Safety Appliance."

In 1921, Julian moved from Montreal to Harlem. There, he joined the Universal Negro Improvement Association, influenced by Marcus Garvey. Julian adopted a new persona, calling himself "Lieutenant Hubert Julian" of the Royal Canadian Air Force. He even wore a fake military uniform. Julian performed his first parachute jump in September 1922, and he made several more jumps, including one while playing the saxophone. He became known as "The Black Eagle of Harlem."

In 1923 Julian planned on jumping out of a plane over Harlem, and landing in a vacant lot on West 138th Street. He missed the target, but landed safely on the roof of the post office.

In 1924, Julian and a friend came up with the idea of a transatlantic flight planned to fly from New York City to Liberia with stops in Florida, the West Indies, Central America, Brazil, and Saint Paul's Rock. They purchased an old seaplane called the "Ethiopia" for this purpose. On July 4th, Julian took off from the Harlem River, but his plane crashed into Flushing Bay due to a water-filled pontoon. Julian made two more attempts, but both failed. After Amelia Earhart successfully crossed the Atlantic, Julian canceled the project.

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