This Day in Air and Space History

1944:   MEDAL OF HONOR: Maj Richard I. Bong, with 38 aerial victories, receives the medal from General MacArthur in ceremonies in the Philippines. Citation: http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/2646/bong-richard-i.php  

    1941:   Germany and Italy declare war on the United States; Congress respond in kind with a similar declaration against them.

1954:   On a rocket-propelled sled run, Lt Col John P. Stapp attains 632 MPH (equal to Mach 1.7 at 35,000 feet) and decelerates to zero in 1.4 seconds. He experiences the greatest G-force ever endured

1941:   The Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, bringing the US into World War II. 18th Pursuit Wing P-40 pilots shoot down 10 enemy planes, 4 by 2Lt George S. Welch.

1995:   Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR. USAF airlifters start moving troops and equipment to Bosnia to support this NATO operation.

2001: Operation NOBLE EAGLE. The 125th Fighter Wing (Florida Air National Guard) sends its F-15s to patrol the skies over the Kennedy Space Center for the Space Shuttle Endeavour launch. It was the first shuttle

1996:   At Hill AFB an F-16 Fighting Falcon logs the five millionth hour of flying time for the F-16 fleet. Captain Kurt Gallegos of the West Coast F-16 Demonstration Team flies the Falcon. Major Mike

1999:   The 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, CA decides to end a mission that used three EC-18B Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA).

  1908:   At Hammondsport, the Curtiss Motor Vehicle Company becomes the first airplane company formed in the US.

1951:   USAF announces the production of the first all-jet heavy bomber, the Boeing XB-52.