Boeing history chronology

PRE-1910 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010–
1957 Jan. 18: Three Boeing B-52s, led by Lucky Lady III, fly 24,325 miles around the world in 45 hours, 19
minutes, at an average speed of 520 mph. They halve the previous around-the-world record set
by the Lucky Lady II, a B-50,in 1949.
Feb. 18:
March 11:
May 21:
May 29:
July:
July 19:
August:
Sept. 20:
Oct. 28:
Oct. 28:
Nov. 27:
Dec. 12:
After 12 years of production, Douglas delivers the last of 3,180 AD Skyraiders to the Navy.
The Boeing Dash 80 flies from Seattle to Baltimore, Md., at an average speed of 612 mph.
A Douglas DC-7C takes off from Long Beach (Calif.) Municipal Airport for a record trans-Atlantic flight
that retraces part of the route flown by Charles Lindbergh in 1927. The aircraft flies 6,148 miles to Paris
in 21 hours, 52 minutes — 12 hours less than it took Lindbergh to fly 3,625 miles across the Atlantic.
The Air Force awards Boeing the contract to build IM-99 Bomarc missiles and their launching facilities.
North American submits its proposal for GAM-77 Hound Dog missiles to the Air Force.
The Douglas MB-1 Genie air-to-air missile is first tested.
North American’s Missile Development Division is awarded the Hound Dog contract.
The Douglas-built Thor IRBM (intermediate range ballistic missile) has its first successful launch.
The first production Boeing Model 707-120 jet rolls out at Renton, Wash.
Donald W. Douglas Jr. becomes president of Douglas Aircraft Co.; his father remains chairman and
chief executive.
In “Operation Sun Run,” McDonnell-built Air Force RF-101 Voodoos set three new transcontinental
U.S. speed records by flying west to east at 781.7 mph, east to west at 677.7 mph, and 721.8 mph for the
total 4,892-mile, round-trip distance.
In “Operation Firewall” a McDonnell-built Air Force F-101 Voodoo becomes the fastest operational jet
fighter in the world when it establishes a world speed record of 1,207 mph.
Boeing history chronology
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