Origins & Early Life

Eugene Morrison Stoner (November 22, 1922 – April 24, 1997) was an American machinist and firearms designer who is most associated with the development of the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle that was redesigned and modified by Colt's Patent Firearm Company for the United States military as the M16A1 rifle. Stoner was born in Gosport, Indiana, on November 22, 1922. He moved to Long Beach, California where he graduated from Long Beach Polytechnical High School. In 1939, after the Depression, there was not enough money for him to attend college, so he went to work as a machinist for Vega Aircraft Company, the forerunner of what became Lockheed Airplane Company (now the Lockheed Martin Corporation).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

During World War II, he enlisted for Aviation Ordnance in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the South Pacific and northern China. In the Corps, he had his first experience of working with heavy-caliber automatic weapons as an armourer. The work experience and combat training served him throughout his weapons designing career. In late 1945 Stoner began working in the machine shop for Whittaker, an aircraft equipment company, and ultimately became a Design Engineer.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aage Bohr — Contemporary (Born in 1922) (1922): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• Agostinho Neto — Contemporary (Born in 1922) (1922): Angolan communist revolutionary, poet, and first President of Angola.
• Alain Resnais — Contemporary (Born in 1922) (1922): Pioneering French filmmaker exploring memory, consciousness, and narrative structure.
• Allen Ginsberg — Contemporary (Died in 1997) (1997): Pioneering American poet, central figure of the Beat Generation, known for 'Howl'.
• Amado Carrillo Fuentes — Contemporary (Died in 1997) (1997): Notorious Mexican drug lord, known as "The Lord of the Skies" for his jet fleet.
• Amos Tutuola — Contemporary (Died in 1997) (1997): Pioneering Nigerian author blending Yoruba folklore with modern literary forms.
• Aldous Huxley — Shared historical date (11-22 · Died) (1963): English writer and philosopher known for social satire and mystical explorations.
• André Gide — Shared historical date (11-22 · Born) (1869): Pioneering French author, Nobel laureate known for exploring selfhood and transgression.
• Alejo Carpentier — Shared historical date (04-24 · Died) (1980): Influential Cuban novelist, essayist, and musicologist of the Latin American Boom.
• Barbra Streisand — Shared historical date (04-24 · Born) (1942): Iconic American vocalist and actress known for her powerful voice and enduring career.
• 1922 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1922
• November 22 (11-22) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on November 22
• 1997 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1997
• April 24 (04-24) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 24