Aviation timeline
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Flight of 1900 Wright Glider
The 1900 glider was the Wrights’ first piloted aircraft. First flight-tested at Kitty Hawk in the fall of that year, it incorporated the... Read more
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Flight of 1901 Wright Glider
The 1901 Wright Glider was the second of the brothers' experimental gliders. They tested it over the Kill Devil Hills, four miles south of Kitty... Read more
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Flight of 1902 Wright Glider
The 1902 Wright Glider was the third free-flight glider built by the brothers. This was their first glider to incorporate yaw control by use of a... Read more
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First Flight with Flyer III
The Wright Flyer III was the third powered aircraft built by the Wright Brothers. Orville Wright made the first flight with it on June 23, 1905.... Read more
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Wright Brothers Patent Granted
During their experiments of 1902 the Wrights succeeded in controlling their glider in all three axes of flight: pitch, roll and yaw. Their... Read more
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Wrights Sign Contract with a French Company and the U.S. Army
The Wright brothers made no flights at all in 1906 and 1907 while they pursued fitful negotiations with the U.S. and European governments. While... Read more
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Houdini Achieves First Powered Flight Over Australia
In 1909, Houdini became fascinated with aviation. That same year, he purchased a French Voisin biplane for $5000 and hired a full-time mechanic,... Read more
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Amelia Earhart experiences her first flight with Frank Hawks
By 1919 Earhart prepared to enter Smith College but changed her mind and enrolled at Columbia University signing up for a course in medical studies... Read more
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Amelia Earhart takes first flying lesson
Earhart had her first lessons, beginning on January 3, 1921, at Kinner Field near Long Beach but to reach the airfield Amelia took a bus to the end... Read more
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Amelia Earhart buys her first plane
She hired Neta Snook, the first woman instructor to graduate from the Curtiss School of Aviation, to teach her. She paid for the first lessons by... Read more
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Amelia Earhart sets altitude record for female pilots
On October 22, 1922, Earhart flew the Airster to an altitude of 14,000 feet (4,300 m), setting a world record for female pilots. On May 15, 1923,... Read more
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Charles Lindbergh Completes First Solo Flight across the Atlantic
Lindbergh's heroic flight thrilled people throughout the world. He was honored with awards, celebrations, and parades. President Calvin Coolidge... Read more
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Amelia Earhart becomes first woman to fly across the Atlantic
After Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927, Amy Phipps Guest, (1873–1959), expressed interest in being the first woman to... Read more
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First Women's Air Derby, Powder Puff Derby
Earhart subsequently made her first attempt at competitive air racing in 1929 during the first Santa Monica-to-Cleveland Women's Air Derby (later... Read more
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Amelia Earhart Becomes First Woman to Fly Solo across the Atlantic
On May 20-21, 1932, Earhart accomplished her goal of flying solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She took off from Newfoundland, Canada, at 7:12 p.m. on... Read more
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Amelia Earhart is first woman in Bendix Trophy Race
Earhart again participated in long-distance air racing, placing fifth in the 1935 Bendix Trophy Race, the best result she could manage considering... Read more
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Amelia Earhart becomes first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California
On January 11, 1935, Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California. Although this transoceanic flight... Read more
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Amelia Earhart becomes first person to fly solo from Los Angeles to Mexico City
That year, once more flying her faithful Vega which she had tagged "old Bessie, the fire horse," Earhart soloed from Los Angeles to Mexico City on... Read more
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Amelia Earhart's first attempt to fly around the world
On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1937, they flew the first leg from Oakland, California to Honolulu, Hawaii. In addition to Earhart and Noonan,... Read more
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Amelia Earhart's second attempt to fly around the world begins
While the Electra was being repaired Earhart and Putnam secured additional funds and prepared for a second attempt. This time flying west to east,... Read more
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Amelia Earhart disappears near Howland Island
On July 2, 1937 (midnight GMT) Earhart and Noonan took off from Lae in the heavily loaded Electra. Their intended destination was Howland Island, a... Read more
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Search for Amelia Earhart is called off
Beginning approximately one hour after Earhart's last recorded message, the USCG Itasca undertook an ultimately unsuccessful search north and west... Read more
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Test Flight of the Heinkel He 178, the First Jet Aircraft
The Heinkel-produced He 178 has the distinct honor of becoming the world's first aircraft to fly solely with a turbojet engine. The aircraft was... Read more
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First Flight of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Designed in 1940 as an eventual replacement for the B-17 and B-24, the first B-29 made its maiden flight on Sept. 21, 1942. In December 1943 U.S.... Read more
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Charles Lindbergh Dies
.After being diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1974, he flew with his family from New York to Maui and he died at his home there a few days later... Read more