1909: The first great aviation meeting in Bétheny, France, opens as 23 European airplanes make 87 flights during one week. The meeting will have a strong influence on the technical and military aspects of flight.

1922: The Vickers Victoria (serial no. J6869) military transport makes its first flight, taking off from Brooklands, England with Stan Cockerell at the controls.

1938: The Civil Aeronautics Act becomes effective in the United States, coordinating all non-military aviation under the Civil Aeronautics Authority.

1952: First flight of the Saunders-Roe Princess G-ALUN

1970: Two Sikorsky HH-53C helicopters complete a non-stop transpacific flight of 9,000 miles (14,484 km) using in-flight refuelling.

1973: First flight of the Learjet 35.

1974: First flight of the Shorts 360 G-BSBH.

1985: A Boeing 737 of British Airtours explodes in Manchester before taking off, killing 55 of the 137 people on board and punctuating commercial aviation's worst month in history.

1989: Alexander Yakovlev dies, aged 84.