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"All those who see me, and all who believe in me, share in the freedom I feel when I fly." 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Aviation Chronology: 1900s Entries in grey refer to aviation and world events not specific to women. Birthdates of female pilots/groundcrew, etc. are not given individual entries, but listed in the first entry for each woman. Reference works are cited by code numbers, identified in the Bibliography.   Web thethunderchild.com The Wright Flight, and inventors before the Wright brothers. Name Date(s) Notes Bibliography 1903 1903 1903 1903 The Wright Brothers December 17, 1903 Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina Many men have experiemented with creating heavier-than-air engine-powered craft. Orville and Wilbur Wright win the race on this day when their Wright Flyer soars into the air at Kill Devil Hills, NC (near Kitty Hawk.) The first flight lasts 12 seconds, is piloted by Orville Wright, and the plane gets about 10 feet off the ground. Each brother makes two flights on this day. It will take two more years before the Wright Flyer is easily controllable. . 1905 1905 1905 1905 The Wright brothers June 23, 1905 USA The Wright Flyer III makes its debut. Flight is still not perfected. . 1906 1906 1906 1906 E. Lillian Todd 1906 America Lilian Todd is the first woman to design and build an airplane. She unveils it in this year, but it is not airworthy. She continues to design and does propose some practical ideas - such as planes that could be collapsed for easy transport. She also founds the Junior Aero Club of America. Mo-1 1908 1908 1908 1908 E. Lillian Todd 1908 America Lilian Todd exhibits one of her planes at the 1908 Aeronautical Society exhibition in Morris Park, New Jersey. Mo-1 Therese Peltier July 8, 1908 France A sculptor and protege of French aviator Leon Delagrange. "Almost certainly flew an airplane alone, but never received a pilot's license." Apparently flew a Farman biplane. On this date, she is the passenger with Leon Delagrange when he breaks the record for duration in a flight: 30 minutes 27 seconds. www.earlyaviators.com/edelagra.htm Le-1 Orville Wright August 8, 1908 Le Mans, France Orville Wright demonstrates the Wright biplane in front of French officials in several flights, beginning om August 8 and extending into September. . . September 1908 France The press reports that sculptor and pilot Leon Delagrange is head of a new commercial organization, Compagnie d'Aviation, to "encourage aviation technology and promote exhibition flights." He also presents 1,000 francs to the French National Aerial League as a prize for the first woman aviator to fly one kilometer, operating the machine on her own, with or without a passenger. Le-1 1909 1909 1909 1909 Louis Blériot July 25, 1909 France French pilot Louis Blériot flew across the Ebglish Channel from Calis to Dover, "a fight that fired imaginations everywhere and changed the way people viewed the world." Among others, German Melli Beese was inspired to learn to fly by this exploit. Le-1 Raymonde de Laroche October 22, 1909 Chalons, France born August 22, 1886 in Paris Laroche pilots a heavier-than-air machine into the air alone, and is "generally recognized as the first woman to do so." She pilots a Voisin, designed by Charles Voisin and his brother Gabriel. She will be issued her license five months later. Le-1, Mo-1 Marie Marvingt October 26, 1909 Marvingt, who earned her balloonist's license around 1901 (#145) makes a balloon trip, in the L'Etoile Filante" (Shooting Star) from Nancy across the North Sea to England. Le-1 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

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