Historical eventOctober 141947

Chuck Yeager

American test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.06 on board the Bell X-1, an experimental rocket-powered aircraft.

Everything on October 14Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, October 14 194779 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1940s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1947.

What happened

American test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.06 on board the Bell X-1, an experimental rocket-powered aircraft.

October 14 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1947Chuck Yeager
  2. 2004MK Airlines Flight 1602
  3. 2011Michael Christopher Woodford
  4. 2012Felix Baumgartner
  5. 20142014 Nepal snowstorm disaster
  6. 2014Serbia v Albania (UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying)
  7. 20152015 Tonsa bombing
  8. 2017Al-Shabaab (militant group)
  9. 2021John Deere
  10. 20232023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum
  11. 20252025 Malagasy coup d'état

Also in 1947

  • July 8Roswell incidentFollowing reports of the capture of a "flying disc" by U.S. Army Air Forces personnel near Roswell, New Mexico, the military stated that…
  • May 1Salvatore GiulianoSicilian separatist Salvatore Giuliano and his gang fired into a crowd of May Day marchers near Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily, killing 11…
  • May 1Portella della Ginestra massacrePortella della Ginestra massacre against May Day celebrations in Sicily by the bandit and separatist leader Salvatore Giuliano where 11 p…
  • November 25McCarthyismMcCarthyism: Executives from movie studios agreed to blacklist ten screenwriters and directors who were jailed for refusing to give testi…
  • August 15Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru (pictured) took office as the first prime minister of India, a post he held for 16 years.
  • February 25Abolition of PrussiaThe formal abolition of Prussia is proclaimed by the Allied Control Council, the Prussian government having already been abolished by the…
  • February 25NKVDSoviet NKVD forces in Hungary abduct Béla Kovács—secretary-general of the majority Independent Smallholders' Party—and deport him to the…
  • August 4Supreme Court of JapanThe Supreme Court of Japan is established.

Everything we record for 1947 →

Sources

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“Chuck Yeager”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/chuck-yeager-1947-october-14, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Chuck Yeager happen?

October 14 1947 — 79 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

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Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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