All Stories

Curtiss aircraft sales representative and flight instructor Lawrence Leon won hearts, minds, and aircraft orders in interwar Argentina through the power of his personality and excellence as a pilot.

Before Patrick Leonini was a museum specialist for the National Air and Space Museum in the Photography department, he spent 24 years in the United States Air Force. He reflects on his career experiences in the military as an airfield manager, working in and around aircraft, crews, and ground support personnel.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a holiday staple for almost 100 years, and the balloons have been a part of it for nearly as long.

Frank Borman was one of the great explorers of the 20th century. As commander of Apollo 8, he was one of the first three humans to leave low Earth orbit, travel into deep space, and orbit the Moon. Yet exploring space was not his dream. An Air Force officer, patriot, and ardent Cold Warrior, he wanted to beat the Soviet Union in the Moon race and played a central role in making that happen. 

Space is dangerous. And as long as we've been sending people into space, we've also been thinking about what we can do to make sure they're prepared for it, and make sure they will come home again.

In February 2019, the National Air and Space Museum launched the Military Women Aviators Oral History Initiative (MWAOHI) to record histories of some of the groundbreaking women who led incremental change in the military that resulted in women becoming fully vested (combat) military pilots.

Discover the history of the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

When the Boeing 747 first came out, it revolutionized the already revolutionary Jet Age. We're looking back on the more than 50 year history of the original Jumbo Jet.

In the upcoming new World War I in the Air gallery, two artifacts, wooden propellers manufactured for the American aviation production program will be on display. The  propellers were treated by the Museum's Conservation team in preparation for the exhibition.

As a physicist, engineer, entrepreneur, and astronaut, Franklin Chang-Díaz has made significant contributions to space exploration. Born in San José, Costa Rica, he developed a passion for science and space at an early age. He moved to the United States to continue his education and achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut and in 1980, NASA selected Chang-Díaz as an astronaut candidate, making him the first Latin American immigrant to become a NASA astronaut.