1956 – USAF Captain Milburn G. Apt becomes the first man to exceed Mach 3 while flying the Bell X-2. Shortly thereafter, the craft goes out of control and Captain Apt is killed. From a dive at high altitude, the aircraft ...
FedEx begins operations, Apollo 13 returns safely to earth, Jerrie Mock becomes the first woman to fly around the world solo, Howard Hughes sets a transcontinental speed record, and more...
An Air New Zealand 767-300ER was forced to make an emergency landing after a series of explosions in one of the aircraft's engines drew scares among passengers.
Over the years, a particular focus has been placed on aviation safety improvements. Many of these improvements have come to be thanks to the lessons learned from past crashes.