2008 – The United States Department of Justice approves Delta Air Lines’ purchase of Northwest Airlines and the companies formally begin merging their operations.
2006 – Aviation Development Company Airlines (ADC) Flight 53, a Boeing 737-200 (registered 5N-BFK), crashes on takeoff out of Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria, killing 97 of the 106 people on-board.
1998 – Astronaut John Glenn returns to space at the age of 77 as a payload specialist on the Space Shuttle Discovery, making him the oldest man to enter space.
1994 – An Aeronika Antonov AN-12A crashes on approach to Ust-Ilimsk Kaluga in central Russia, killing 21.
1969 – Happy birthday, Internet! ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet, transmits its first message ever.
1960 – A twin-engine C-46 aircraft (registered N1244N) carrying the California Polytechnic State University football team crashes on takeoff at Toledo Express Airport, killing 22 of the 48 aboard. The crash is attributed to the aircraft having been loaded 2,000lbs above allowed gross takeoff weight. After experiencing a partial power loss in the left engine, the aircraft was unable to maintain climb on what was also an early rotation. Additionally, the aircraft had departed when visibility was zero, prompting the CAB (old school FAA) to no longer allow aircraft to depart when visibility is below 1/4 mile.
1953 – British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPA) Flight 304, a Douglas DC-6 (registered VH-BPE) flying a leg from Honolulu to San Francisco, crashes on approach to SFO, killing all 19 people on-board. The exact cause of the crash is uncertain, but it was ultimately attributed to the cockpit crew not following normal instrument approach procedures.
1917 – An American-built Airco/De Havilland DH-4 flies for the first time.
