1890 – Birth of William Stanley Jenkins, Canadian World War I flying ace.
1929 – A Junkers W 33 (modified and sometimes referred to as a W 34) establishes a world altitude record; piloted Willy Neuenhofen takes the German-built, singled-engine transport to 41,800 feet.
1942 – First flight of the Northrop P-61 Black Widow, the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, as well as the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar.
1946 – Death of Marziale Cerutti, Italian World War I fighter ace and World War II pilot.
1970 – The prototype Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic airliner (shown) reaches a speed of 1,335 mph, becoming the first commercial transport in the world to exceed Mach 2.
1998 – A MIAT Mongolian Airlines Harbin Y-12 crashes into a mountain near Erdenet, Mongolia, shortly after departure from Erdenet Airport; all 28 passengers and crew perish.
