October 14:
1947: Yeager breaks sound barrier
U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound.
Yeager, born in Myra, West Virginia, in 1923, was a combat fighter during World War II and flew 64 missions over Europe. He shot down 13 German planes and was himself shot down over France, but he escaped capture with the assistance of the French Underground. After the war, he was among several volunteers chosen to test-fly the experimental X-1 rocket plane, built by the Bell Aircraft Company to explore the possibility of supersonic flight.
For years, many aviators believed that man was not meant to fly faster than the speed of sound, theorizing that transonic drag rise would tear any aircraft apart. All that changed on October 14, 1947, when Yeager flew the X-1 over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California. The X-1 was lifted to an altitude of 25,000 feet by a B-29 aircraft and then released through the bomb bay, rocketing to 40,000 feet and exceeding 662 miles per hour (the sound barrier at that altitude). The rocket plane, nicknamed "Glamorous Glennis," was designed with thin, unswept wings and a streamlined fuselage modeled after a .50-caliber bullet.
Because of the secrecy of the project, Bell and Yeager's achievement was not announced until June 1948. Yeager continued to serve as a test pilot, and in 1953 he flew 1,650 miles per hour in an X-1A rocket plane. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1975 with the rank of brigadier general.
American Revolution
1780 : Patriots sting Loyalists at Shallow Ford, North Carolina
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patriots-sting-loyalists-at-shallow-ford-north-carolina
Automotive
1857 : Elwood Haynes, "Grandsire of Gasoline Cars," is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/elwood-haynes-grandsire-of-gasoline-cars-is-born
Civil War
1863 : Union repels Rebels at the Battle of Bristoe Station
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-bristoe-station
Cold War
1962 : The Cuban Missile Crisis begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-cuban-missile-crisis-begins
Crime
1975 : Trial begins in Amityville murders
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/trial-begins-in-amityville-murders
Disaster
1913 : Coal miners die in Wales
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/coal-miners-die-in-wales
General Interest
1066 : The Battle of Hastings
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-battle-of-hastings
1912 : Theodore Roosevelt shot in Milwaukee
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/theodore-roosevelt-shot-in-milwaukee
1964 : King wins Nobel Peace Prize
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-wins-nobel-peace-prize
Hollywood
1994 : Pulp Fiction debuts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pulp-fiction-debuts
Literary
1822 : Victor Hugo marries Adele Foucher
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victor-hugo-marries-adele-foucher
Music
1957 : "Wake Up Little Susie" becomes the Everly Brothers' first #1 hit
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/quotwake-up-little-susiequot-becomes-the-everly-brothers39-first-1-hit
Old West
1939 : Ralph Lauren, designer of popular western-style clothing, is born in New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ralph-lauren-designer-of-popular-western-style-clothing-is-born-in-new-york
Presidential
1890 : Dwight D. Eisenhower is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dwight-d-eisenhower-is-born
Sports
2003 : Steve Bartman catches ball
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/steve-bartman-catches-ball
Vietnam War
1964 : Khrushchev ousted as premier of Soviet Union
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/khrushchev-ousted-as-premier-of-soviet-union
1968 : U.S. servicemen sent to Vietnam for second tours
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-servicemen-sent-to-vietnam-for-second-tours
World War I
1918 : Adolf Hitler wounded in British gas attack
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/adolf-hitler-wounded-in-british-gas-attack
World War II
1944 : "The Desert Fox" commits suicide
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-desert-fox-commits-suicide
1947: Yeager breaks sound barrier
U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. Yeager, born in Myra, West Virginia, in 1923, was a combat fighter during World War II and flew 64 missions over Europe. He shot down 13 German planes and was himself shot down over France, but he escaped capture with the assistance of the French Underground. After the war, he was among several volunteers chosen to test-fly the experimental X-1 rocket plane, built by the Bell Aircraft Company to explore the possibility of supersonic flight.
For years, many aviators believed that man was not meant to fly faster than the speed of sound, theorizing that transonic drag rise would tear any aircraft apart. All that changed on October 14, 1947, when Yeager flew the X-1 over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California. The X-1 was lifted to an altitude of 25,000 feet by a B-29 aircraft and then released through the bomb bay, rocketing to 40,000 feet and exceeding 662 miles per hour (the sound barrier at that altitude). The rocket plane, nicknamed "Glamorous Glennis," was designed with thin, unswept wings and a streamlined fuselage modeled after a .50-caliber bullet.
Because of the secrecy of the project, Bell and Yeager's achievement was not announced until June 1948. Yeager continued to serve as a test pilot, and in 1953 he flew 1,650 miles per hour in an X-1A rocket plane. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1975 with the rank of brigadier general. American Revolution
1780 : Patriots sting Loyalists at Shallow Ford, North Carolina
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patriots-sting-loyalists-at-shallow-ford-north-carolina
Automotive
1857 : Elwood Haynes, "Grandsire of Gasoline Cars," is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/elwood-haynes-grandsire-of-gasoline-cars-is-born
Civil War
1863 : Union repels Rebels at the Battle of Bristoe Station
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-bristoe-station
Cold War
1962 : The Cuban Missile Crisis begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-cuban-missile-crisis-begins
Crime
1975 : Trial begins in Amityville murders
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/trial-begins-in-amityville-murders
Disaster
1913 : Coal miners die in Wales
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/coal-miners-die-in-wales
General Interest
1066 : The Battle of Hastings
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-battle-of-hastings
1912 : Theodore Roosevelt shot in Milwaukee
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/theodore-roosevelt-shot-in-milwaukee
1964 : King wins Nobel Peace Prize
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-wins-nobel-peace-prize
Hollywood
1994 : Pulp Fiction debuts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pulp-fiction-debuts
Literary
1822 : Victor Hugo marries Adele Foucher
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victor-hugo-marries-adele-foucher
Music
1957 : "Wake Up Little Susie" becomes the Everly Brothers' first #1 hit
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/quotwake-up-little-susiequot-becomes-the-everly-brothers39-first-1-hit
Old West
1939 : Ralph Lauren, designer of popular western-style clothing, is born in New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ralph-lauren-designer-of-popular-western-style-clothing-is-born-in-new-york
Presidential
1890 : Dwight D. Eisenhower is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dwight-d-eisenhower-is-born
Sports
2003 : Steve Bartman catches ball
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/steve-bartman-catches-ball
Vietnam War
1964 : Khrushchev ousted as premier of Soviet Union
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/khrushchev-ousted-as-premier-of-soviet-union
1968 : U.S. servicemen sent to Vietnam for second tours
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-servicemen-sent-to-vietnam-for-second-tours
World War I
1918 : Adolf Hitler wounded in British gas attack
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/adolf-hitler-wounded-in-british-gas-attack
World War II
1944 : "The Desert Fox" commits suicide
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-desert-fox-commits-suicide
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