Air travel has evolved greatly over the past 116 years. From the Wright Flyer to the Space Shuttles, the human race has made great technological leaps over time

1903

Wright Brothers fly the Wright Flyer in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

1909

Louis Bleriot crosses English Channel by air.

1914

WW1 starts, and both sides scramble to make the best fighter planes, such as this Sopwith Camel

1927

Aviator Charles Lindbergh crosses the Atlantic in the first, nonstop, transatlantic flight in his plane, The Spirit of St. Louis.

1935

The Douglas Dc 3 flies, built for mail, passengers, and the military. To date it is the most successful airliner in history.

1939

WW2 starts and once again, both sides race for the best aircraft technology

Towards the end of the war, the Germans built the first jet aircraft ever, the Heinkel He 178

1954

The British develop the very first jetliner, the De Havilland Comet.

1957

Due to pressurization problems and metal fatigue, the Comet is taken out of service. Meanwhile, American manufacturer Boeing creates the Boeing 707, the first successful jetliner.