May 31, 1956
1956: The 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Turner AFB GA receives the first USAF RB-57D (number 53-3973), the reconnaissance version of the British-designed B-57 Canberra.
May 27, 1951
1951: KOREAN WAR. Unit 4/SAM C-47s fly leaflet drop/voice broadcast sorties encouraging the enemy to surrender to elements of the U.S. Army’s IX Corps. Results …
May 26, 1973
1973: SKYLAB 2 launches from Kennedy Space Center on a Saturn IB with Astronauts Charles Conrad, Jr., Paul Weitz, and Dr. Joseph Kerwin aboard. On …
May 25, 1927
1927: Lt James H. Doolittle performs the first known successful outside loop.
May 24, 1927
1927: Because of an attempted prison break at Folsom Prison, two aircraft from the California National Guard’s 115th Observation Squadron, armed with machine guns, are …
May 23, 2000
2000: Randolph AFB receives the first production-model T-6A Texan II. USAF’s new primary trainer would replace the T-37 and the Navy’s T-34 training aircraft.
May 14, 1973
1973: From Kennedy Space Center, a two-stage Saturn V launches Skylab 1 into orbit, where its two Solar Array System wings fail to deploy. These …
May 13, 1952
1952: 5th Air Force F-86s destroy 5 MiG-15s in aerial combat. 4th Fighter Interceptor Group Commander Col Walker M. Mahurin, leader of all three missions, …
May 11, 1968
1968: MEDAL OF HONOR. Lt Col Joe M. Jackson volunteers to rescue a three-man Air Force combat control team at Kham Duc. Before the rescue, …
May 10, 1942
1942: The President orders the Air Medal be established to award any person who while serving in the armed services after 8 Sep 1939, distinguishes …
May 9, 1944
1944: General Electric’s XJ79 turbojet engine makes its first flight in the NB-45 test aircraft over Schenectady, N.Y. This engine later develops and is tested …