1894 – Birth of Frederick James Harry Thayre, British World War I fighter ace.
1919 – French pilot Bernard de Romanet, flying a Nieuport-Delage 29v, sets a world speed record of 166.92 mph.
1948 – First flight of the McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo (shown), a long-range, twin-engine jet fighter with swept wings designed for the U.S. Air Force. Although it never entered service, its design was adapted for the subsequent supersonic F-101 Voodoo.
1969 – Finnair introduces an inertial navigation system on its aircraft, becoming the first airline to dispense with the need for an onboard navigator.
1972 – Death of Gerhard “Kuken” Hubrich, German World War I flying ace who also scored during World War II.
1986 – The presidential aircraft of southeast African nation of Mozambique, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashes in South Africa, killing President Samora Machel and 33 other passengers. The aircraft strikes hills after the pilots fail to follow proper instrument procedures for landing at Mbuzini.
