Glenn Curtiss - Timeline

Timeline

• 1878 Birth in Hammondsport, New York
• 1898 Marriage
• 1900 Manufactures Hercules bicycles
• 1901 Motorcycle designer and racer
• 1903 American motorcycle champion
• 1903 Unofficial one-mile motorcycle land speed record 64 mph (103 km/h) on Hercules V8 at Yonkers, New York
• 1904 Thomas Scott Baldwin mounts Curtiss motorcycle engine on a hydrogen-filled dirigible
• 1904 Set 10-mile world speed record
• 1904 Invented handlebar throttle control; handlebar throttle control also credited to the 1867–1969 Roper steam velocipede
• 1905 Created G.H. Curtiss Manufacturing Company, Inc.
• 1906 Curtiss writes the Wright brothers offering them an aeronautical motor
• 1907 Curtiss joins Alexander Graham Bell in experimenting in aircraft
• 1907 Set world motorcycle land speed record of 77.6 mph (124.9 km/h)
• 1907 Set world motorcycle land speed record at 136.36 mph (219.45 km/h) in his V8 motorcycle in Ormond Beach, Florida
• 1908 First Army dirigible flight with Curtiss as flight engineer
• 1908 One of several claimants for the first flight of an aircraft controlled by ailerons
• 1908 Lead designer and pilot of "June Bug" on July 4
• 1909 Sale of Curtiss's "Golden Flyer" to the New York Aeronautic Society for $5,000.00 USD, marks the first sale of any aircraft in the U.S., triggers Wright Brothers lawsuits.
• 1909 Won first international air speed record with 46.5 mph (74.8 km/h) in Rheims, France
• 1909 First U.S. licensed aircraft manufacturer.
• 1909 Established first flying school in United States and exhibition company
• 1910 Long distance flying record of 150 miles (240 km) from Albany, New York to New York City
• 1910 First simulated bombing runs from an aircraft at Lake Keuka
• 1910 First firearm use from aircraft, piloted by Curtiss
• 1910 First radio communication with aircraft in flight in a Curtiss biplane
• 1910 Trained Blanche Stuart Scott, the first American female pilot
• 1910 First successful takeoff from a United States Navy ship (Eugene Burton Ely, using Curtiss Plane)
• 1911 First landing on a ship (Eugene Burton Ely, using Curtiss Plane) (2 Months later)
• 1911 Pilot license #1 issued for his "June Bug" flight
• 1911 Ailerons patented
• 1911 Developed first successful pontoon aircraft in U.S.
• 1911 Hydroplane A-1 Triad purchased by U.S. Navy (US Navy's First aircraft)
• 1911 First dual pilot control in May
• 1911 Developed first retractable landing gear on his Hydroaeroplane
• 1911 His first aircraft sold to U.S. Army on April 27
• 1911 Created first military flying school
• 1912 Developed and flew the first flying boat on Lake Keuka
• 1912 First ship catapult launching on October 12 (Lt. Ellyson)
• 1912 Created the first flying school in Florida at Miami Beach
• 1914 Start production run of "Jennys" and may other models including flying boats
• 1917 Opens "Experimental Airplane Factory" in Garden City, Long Island
• 1919 Curtiss NC-4 flying boat crosses the Atlantic
• 1919 Commenced private aircraft production with the Oriole
• 1921 Developed Hialeah, Florida including Hialeah Park Race Track
• 1921 Donated his World War I training field to the Navy
• 1923 Developed Miami Springs, Florida and created a flying school and airport
• 1923 (circa) Created first airboats
• 1925 Builds his Miami Springs mansion.
• 1926 Developed Opa-locka, Florida and airport facility
• 1928 Created the Curtiss Aerocar Company in Opa-locka, Florida.
• 1928 Curtiss towed an Aerocar from Miami to New York in 39 hours
• 1930 Death in Buffalo, New York
• 1930 Buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Hammondsport, New York
• 1964 Inducted in the National Aviation Hall of Fame
• 1990 Inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in the air racing category