1908: Orville Wright warns Glenn Curtiss that the wing flaps used in the AEA’s June Bug are an infringement of the Wrights’ patent.

1948: Sixteen Lockheed Shooting Stars complete the first west to east transatlantic flight by jet aircraft.

1951: First flight of the Hawker Hunter prototype WB188

1959: The President is briefed on the current designs and gives final approval for a Mach 3+ program to get underway.

1963: First A-12 Mach 3 flight. Pilot Lou Schalk.

1969: Neil Armstrong lands the lunar module Eagle on the surface of the moon. His immortal first words are, “that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

1971: First flight of the Mitsubishi T-2.

1972: SR-71 (978) lost at Kadena during a landing accident. Pilot Dennis Bush and RSO James Fagg both unharmed.