People, Locations, Episodes

Mildred Louise Hemmons Carter, Airplane Pilot born.

*Mildred Louise Hemmons Carter was born on this date in 1921. She was a Black airplane pilot, the first Black female pilot in Alabama. Mildred Louise Hemmons was born to Mamie and Luther Hemmons in Benson, Alabama. Her mother was the town’s postmaster, while her father was the foreman of a sawmill. She lived in […]

Harry Stewart Jr., Military Pilot born.

*Harry Stewart Jr. was born on this date in 1924. He was a Black soldier and fighter pilot. Harry Thaddeus Stewart Jr. was born in Newport News, Virginia. When he was two years old, after living near Langley Field Air Force Base between Hampton and Newport News, Virginia, Stewart and his family moved to Queens […]

The Challenger Air Pilots Association is formed

*The Challenger Air Pilots Association is celebrated on this date in 1924. Formed by Cornelius Coffey, John Charles Robinson, Willa Brown, and others, it expanded flying opportunities for Blacks in Chicago. Excluded from local airfields, they set up their own at Robbins, Illinois. To become a Pilot

Barbara Hillary, Explorer, and Environmentalist born

*Barbara Hillary was born on this date in 1931. She was a Black nurse, publisher, adventurer, and advocate for environmental justice.   Hillary was born in New York City in the Lincoln Square neighborhood (formerly San Juan Hill). Her mother raised her in Harlem, and her father died while she was a baby. Hillary grew up […]

The Negro Formation Flying Group Performs

*On this date in 1931, the Negro Formation Flying Group performed in Los Angeles. This event occurred before the Tuskegee Airmen and served to demonstrate to the public that Blacks were skilled enough to handle an airplane. Put together by William Powell, who had set a date for Labor Day that year, these were three black airplane pilots flying […]

Edward Dwight Jr., Astronaut and Sculptor born

*Edward Dwight Jr. was born on this date in 1933. He is a Black sculptor, author, former test pilot, and astronaut. Edward Joseph Dwight Jr. was born in Kansas City, Kansas, to Georgia Baker Dwight and Edward Joseph Dwight Sr., a Negro League baseball player. At age 4, Dwight built a toy airplane from orange crates in his […]

The First Black Airplane Pilot in America is Registered

On this date in 1938, Cornelius Coffey became the first African American registered pilot.

Coffey obtained his commercial license (#36609) so that he could teach both at Curtiss-Wright and then at his own school in Chicago.

The National Negro Airmen Association of America is Formed

*On this date in 1939, the National Negro Airmen Association of America (N.N.A.A.A.) was formed. During the mid-1930s and before World War II, a group of foresighted, concerned, and dedicated individuals came together in the Chicago area to create an organization that actively pursued and set the stage for blacks in aviation and aeronautics.  Cornelius […]

Lloyd Newton, Aviator, and Educator born

he birth of Lloyd Newton in 1942 is marked on this date. He is an African American Air Force general (retired), educator, and administrator.

Bernard Harris, Doctor, and Astronaut born

Bernard A. Harris, Jr., was born on this date in 1956. He is an African American scientist, surgeon, and former NASA astronaut.

Born in Temple, TX, he is the son of Mrs. Gussie H. Burgess, and Mr. Bernard A. Harris, Sr. He graduated from Sam Houston High School, San Antonio, in 1974, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Houston in 1978. In 1982, Harris received his doctorate in medicine from Texas Tech University School of Medicine.

Underwater Adventure Seekers (USA) is Founded

*The 1958 founding of Underwater Adventure Seekers (UAS) is celebrated on this date. They are the oldest African American scuba diving club in the world.

UAS, located in Washington, D.C., has trained thousands of individuals to scuba dive during its history. Their dive travel experiences have taken them from Australia to Africa, all of the Caribbean, most of the Bahamas, and parts of Central America. Although it is not commonly known, African Americans have been involved in recreational scuba diving since its introduction to the United States over 50 years ago.

Michael Anderson, Astronaut born

Michael P. Anderson was born on this date in 1959. He was an African American pilot and astronaut.

He was born on Christmas Day in Plattsburgh, New York, the son of Bobby and Barbara Anderson. His father was an Air Force serviceman and had a great influence on his son’s career choice. Young Anderson dreamed of the universe and space flight from the time he was a boy. He knew from an early age that he would become an astronaut. He got his first toy airplane at age 3.

Negro Airmen International is Formed

*Negro Airmen International (N.A.I.) was founded on this date in 1967. N.A.I. helps Americans of African descent to learn about the field of aviation. Edward Albertis Gibbs and several Tuskegee Airmen trainers were responsible for creating and organizing the N.A.I. and incorporating the organization in New York State in 1967. Many of the present African […]

The Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals is formed

*On this date in 1976, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) is celebrated. OBAP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of minorities in all aviation and aerospace careers. Thirty-eight African American pilots and aviation industry pioneers, representing nearly 50% of the worldwide minority-pilot population, convened in Chicago to address the […]

The National Association of Black Scuba Divers is Founded

This date in 1991 celebrates the founding of The National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS). They are an African American group of scuba divers and other interested people.