On This Day in Aviation History

2011-10-07

On This Day in Aviation History: October 7th

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2001 – With smoke still rising from the ruins of the World Trade Center in New York, the United States and its military allies launch the first retaliatory attacks of Operation Enduring Freedom with a series of airstrikes on Afghanistan.

NBC Nightly News footage from October 7, 2001: America Strikes Back

1959 – Luna 3, a Soviet space probe, transmits the first photos of the dark side of the Moon ever captured.

1933 – Air France is founded, merging France’s five largest airlines: Air Orient, Air Union, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNA), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA). Coincidentally, it is 14 years to the day after the founding of KLM, with whom Air France would merge in 2004.

1919 – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is born, making them the oldest airline still operating under the same name.  Here is a collection of photos to commemorate their years of service.

Picture 1 of 20

Mike Primamore



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Today in Aviation History: January 6

Happy birthday to Lufthansa! United Grounds Ted, the US Marines take delivery of their first AV-8 Harrier and more...
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President Richard M. Nixon and Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, discuss the proposed Space Shuttle vehicle in San Clemente, California, on January 5, 1972. (Photo by NASA)

Today in Aviation History: January 5th

The Space Shuttle program is launched, Amelia Earhart is declared legally dead, Independence Air ceases operations, and more...
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The Apollo 17 spacecraft, containing astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and Harrison H. Schmitt, glided to a safe splashdown at 2:25 p.m. EST on Dec. 19, 1972, 648 kilometers (350 nautical miles) southeast of American Samoa. The astronauts were flown by recovery helicopter to the U.S.S. Ticonderoga slightly less than an hour after the completion of NASA's sixth and last manned lunar landing in the Apollo program. (Photo by NASA)

Today in Aviation History: December 19th

The world's first airport opens near Paris, the last moon mission returns to earth, a Chalk's Ocean Airways crash is captured on video, and more...
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Today in Aviation History: December 16th

The midair collision of a United DC-8 and TWA Constellation over New York City, Concorde makes the first sub-3-hour Atlantic crossing, an Air Canada CRJ crashes, and more...
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Today in Aviation History: December 15th

In a near disaster, KLM Flight 867 loses all engines temporarily after flying through a cloud of volcanic ash, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing merge, the Boeing 787 makes its first flight, and more..
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