Stories of daring, stories of technological feats, stories of prevailing against the odds ... these are the stories we tell at the National Air and Space Museum. Dive in to the stories below to discover, learn, and be inspired. 

Showing 21 - 30 of 69

December 10, 2021 Meet the Flight Attendants Who Fought For Equality During the Civil Rights Era Story

Flight attendants were some of the people at the forefront of the fight for equality in the 20th century. Meet some of these remarkable people in this article. 

Read more
November 04, 2021 Early African American Aviator Willa Brown Story

Willa Brown’s work in the air and on land promoted awareness of African American pilots, made the way for them to join the military, and set an example for others.. Discover her story.

Read more
November 03, 2021 Firsts in Commercial Flight: Barrier Breaking Women in the Flight Deck Story

This is your captain, making history. Meet the first women to fly as captain for commercial airlines and discover their stories.  

Read more
November 02, 2021 Hidden No More: Black Women Groundbreakers at NASA Story

Join us to discover the stories of two women whose work and achievement were hidden and untold for years—but who also played a key role in the success of the space program in the United States. 

Read more
October 28, 2021 Women Take Wing in Wartime Story

When World War II broke out, hundreds of women took to the skies in support of the war effort. Many contributed as Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). However, women like Willa Brown who were barred from becoming a military pilot by both her race and gender, found other ways to contribute. These are the stories of five women who contributed to the war effort by flying. 

Read more
July 07, 2021 How Many Quarts of Tomato Soup?! Modern Takes on Historical Recipes from the Benjamin O. Davis Collection Story | From the Archives

What do archivists do when they’re not in the archives? Last summer, in addition to making digital collections available to researchers all over the world, National Air and Space Museum archivists Elizabeth Borja and Melissa Keiser experimented with historical recipes found in the Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Collection.

Read more
June 19, 2021 "No Uncle Tom Stuff”: Reflecting on Juneteenth and Bessie Coleman Story

June 19, 1865, Texas—A Union Army General, Gordon Granger informed the enslaved African Americans of Texas of their freedom. June 19, 1925—A young Black woman climbed into her aircraft and took to the skies in Houston, Texas. White and Black audiences, separated by different seating arrangements, cheered in unison. Reflect on the significance of both of these events and what it means today.

Read more
June 15, 2021 Celebrating the Centennial of Bessie Coleman as the First Licensed African American Woman Pilot Story

One-hundred years ago, Bessie Coleman became the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license. Her remarkable journey reflects the racist and sexist struggles many faced across the nation, and worldwide, in the 1920s—both in the air and on the ground.

Read more
June 14, 2021 Bessie Coleman: Five Stories You May Not Know Story

Pioneering aviator Bessie Coleman's life and legacy aren’t just limited to aviation. In the air and on the ground, she made history, changed history, and witnessed history.

Read more
June 10, 2021 AirSpace Season 4, Ep. 9 Chicago Flyer Story | AirSpace Podcast

In the early days of aviation flying was dangerous and expensive. Even if you could afford it, societal barriers in the United States kept many would-be pilots grounded. But in Chicago, the Challenger Air Pilots Association cultivated a community that has since helped thousands of Black pilots learn how to fly. And it all started with a broken down car.

Read more