1914: The 1st U.S. tactical air unit, the First Aero Squadron, is organized because of the August outbreak of war in Europe. Based in San Diego, California, the unit has 16 officers, 77 enlisted men, and 8 airplanes.
1921: President Warren Harding authorizes the creation of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, with Rear Admiral Moffet as its chief.
1923: The Royal Australian Air Force is formed.
1939: Hitler invades Poland, Beginning of World War 2.
1946: The Vickers Viking enters service with British European Airways (G-AHOP).
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1953: The 1st scheduled international helicopter service begins between Belgium and France. The service is operated by Belgian airline Sabena.
1953: The 1st aerial refueling of a jet aircraft by a jet tanker is made with a B-47 Stratojet by a KB-47B tanker.
1966: Britannia Airways Flight 105, a Bristol 175 Britannia, crashed on landing at Ljubljana, Slovenia due to pilot error after a flight from Luton, England. Of the 117 onboard 98 died.
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1974: The SR-71 Blackbird sets(and still holds) the record for flying from New York to London in 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds.
1982: The United States Air Force Space Command is founded.
1983: Korean Air Boeing 747 (Korean Air Flight 007) is downed by Soviet National Air Defense Forces Sukhoi Su-15s. According to investigations, the Korean Air plane had strayed off course and into Soviet airspace near Sakhalin Island, and Soviet pilots claimed the plane had ignored warnings before being shot down. All 269 on board died.
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2006: First flight of the Boeing 737-900ER.