United States Signal Corps, -

	1860 Jun, 21	Congress authorized the appointment of one signal officer in the Army.
	1861 Oct, 01	US Army Baloon Corps was formed.
	1898 Jun, 28	Lt. Col. Joseph E. Maxfield, Signal Corps, landed the Army's sole baloon at Santiago Cuba during the US war with Spain. Three ascensions were later made, but the baloon drew enemy fire, was damaged and had to be retired
	1906 Sep, 30	Maj. H. B. Hersey and Lt. Frank P. Lahm won the first Gordon Bennett balloon race in an Army balloon. They took off from Paris, France and landed at Searborough, England after travelling 647.98 Km. See also: , Lahm, Frank Purdy
	1907 Aug, 01	The Aeronautical dicision of the Signal Corps was stablished.
	1907 Oct, 17	Capt. Charles DeF. Chandler and J C. mcCoy in Signal Corps Baloon No. 10 were declared the first winners of the Lahm Cup by flying from St. Louis, MO. to Walton, WV. a distance of 473.56 miles in 20 Hrs, 15 mins. See also: ,
	1908 Feb, 06	Bids for the Army's first airplane were considered by the Board of Ordnance and Fortification. All three were approved on Feb 8th by the Secretary of War.
	1908 Feb, 10	The first Army airplane contract with the Wright Brothers was signed.
	1908 May, 13	The first earth to baloon radio transmission in the United States was made to an Army baloon in flight betwee Fort Myer, VA and Woodwardvile, MD.
	1908 May, 19	Lt. Thomas R. Selfridge, made the first solo flight by a U.S. Army officer in the new 'White Wing', the AEA's second airplane, at Hammondsport, NY. He reached an altitude of 237 Ft. See also: , Selfridge, Thomas E.
	1908 Aug, 04	The first test ascent of Signal Corps Airship No. 1 was made at Fort Myer, VA. It lasted 7 mins.
	1909 Aug, 01	An Aeronautical Division was established in the the Offic of the Chief Signal Officer, U.S. Army. This is generally considered to be the birth of the U.S. Air Force. See also: United States Air Force,
	1909 Aug, 02	The US Army placed a firm order for its first aircraft, a wright biplane.
	1909 Oct, 26	Lt. Frank E. Humphreys became the first Army officer to solo in the Army's first airplane at College Park, MD.
	1910 Aug, 20	Lt. Jacob E. Fickel fired the first shots from an aircraft at Sheepshead Bay, NY. In four passes he scored 2 hits on a 3x3 target with a Springfield M1903 rifle (.30-06 caliber) from a Curtis plane.
	1911 Jan, 16	Lt. G. B. M. Kelly, Infantry, flew first photo recon flight in a wright plane at 2,000 Ft, with Walter Brookins as observer. During this flight they failed to locate troops. See also:
	1911 Jan, 21	Lt. Paul W. Beck made Army's first aircraft based radio-telegraphic transmission. The flight was 1.5 miles away from Selfridge Field, MI at an altitude of 100 Ft. See also:
	1911 Apr, 11	The Army's first permanent flying school was inaugurated at College Park, Maryland.
	1911 Jul, 10	Lt. Lahm won the National Balloon Race at Kansas City, MO. by traveling a distance of 772,486 kilometrs to La Pas, IN. See also: Lahm, Frank Purdy
	1912 Jan, 25	Lt. H. N. Arnold set an Army altitude record of 4,674 ft in a Wright aircraft at the Army Aviation School, Augusta, GA. See also:
	1912 May, 06	Three Army planes from College Park, MD. flew the first Army group cross-country flight to Chevy Chase Club, MD.
	1912 Jun, 05	Lt. Col C.B. Winder, Ohio Nat'l Guard, became the first Nat'l Guard pilot upon completion of the course at the Army Aviation School at Augusta, GA. See also:
	1912 Nov, 05	First artillery adjustments from a plane in the U.S. were begun at Fort Riley, KS.
	1912 Nov, 27	The U.S. Army Signal Corps received its first flying boat, a Curtiss Model F.
	1913 Mar, 05	The formation of the Army's first aviation squadron was announced by the issuance of Field Order No. 1 from Headquarters, Frst Aero Squadron near Texas City, TX. The organization was provisional and did not last.
	1913 Mar, 31	Lt. W. C. Sherman riding as a passenger with Lt. T. D. Milling on a nonstop cross-country flight from San Antonio to Texas City, made the first Army aerial map from a plane. See also:
	1913 Apr, 13	Lt. S. H. McLeary set a Army altitude record of 8,400 ft in a Curtiss plane at San Diego, CA. See also:
	1913 May, 28	Lts. T.D. Milling an W.C. Sherman made a two-man duration and distance record of 4 Hrs 22 Mins for 220 miles from Texas City, TX to San Antonio. See also: ,
	1913 Nov, 06	Experimental radio and fire control flights were begun at Fort Mills in cooperation with ground coastal defense troops.
	1913 Dec, 26	Lt. J. C. Carberry and his passenger Lt. W. R. Taliaferro, set an Army altitude record for a pilot and passenger, by reaching 7,800 ft in Signal Corps machine No. 22 at San Diego, CA. See also: ,
	1914 Feb, 16	Lt. J. C. Carberry ad Lt. W R. Taliaferee set an Army altitude record of 8,700 ft in a Curtiss plane (Signal Corps No. 23) at San Diego, CA. See also: ,
	1914 Jul, 18	The Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was created.
	1915 Jan, 05	Lt. J. C. Carberry, S.C., along with a passenger set a new two-man altitude record of 11,690 in a Curtiss OX 100. See also:
	1915 Jul, 03	Lt. B.Q. Jones, at San Diego, became the first Army officer to loop an airplane. See also:
	1915 Nov, 19	Six aircraft made the Army's first cross-country flight from Fort Sill, OK. to Houston, TX.
	1915 Dec, 11	Radio messages were received in an Army airplane at a distance of 10 miles for the first time. The experiment was conducted in the philippines using an Army Burgess-Wright airplane.
		The first foreign officers to become flying students in a U.S. Army school reported to the U.S. Signal Corps Aviation School at San Diego, CA. The students consisted of four portuguese Army Officers.
	1916 Mar, 15	The first U.S. Tactical air unit in the field, the 1st Aero Squadron, began operations with General Pershing's Mexican Punitive Expedition. The squadron consisted of 8 Curtiss JN-3 aircraft.
	1916 Mar, 16	The 1st Aero Squadron flew their first reconnaissance mission over mexico. Two Curtiss JN-3 aircraft flew 30 miles into Mexico from Columbus, NM.
	1917 Apr, 24	Maj. William Mitchell became the first American officer to fly over enemy lines in France. See also:
	1917 Oct, 16	Final tested of airborne wireless set. In experiments, ranges of up to 25 miles were acheived for air-to-air communications and 45 miles for air-to-ground communications.
	1917 Oct, 18	The Aviation Medical Research Board was established by the Signal Corps.
	1918 May, 09	Flight surgeons were organized and assigned to U.S. flying fields.
	1918 May, 15	The Government's first permanent airmail route was inaugurated between washington and New York by Army pilots.
	1918 May, 20	The Overman Act removed aviation from the Signal Corps and established the US Army Air Service and the Army Bureau of Aircraft Production. See also:
	1963 Mar, 03	An act of Congress authorized the Signal Corps as a separate branch of the Army.