Historical eventSeptember 11974

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

The SR-71 Blackbird sets (and holds) the record for flying from New York to London in the time of one hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds at a speed of 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h).

Everything on September 1Original source

In context

When
Sunday, September 1 197452 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1970s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1974.

What happened

The SR-71 Blackbird sets (and holds) the record for flying from New York to London in the time of one hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds at a speed of 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h).

September 1 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1972Cold War
  2. 1973Rescue of Roger Mallinson and Roger Chapman
  3. 1973Celtic Sea
  4. 1974Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
  5. 1981David Dacko
  6. 1982United States Space Force Combat Forces Command
  7. 1983Cold War
  8. 1985Titanic
  9. 2000Speakers' Corner, Singapore
  10. 2004Beslan school siege
  11. 2008Iraq War

Also in 1974

  • September 15Air Vietnam Flight 706Air Vietnam Flight 706 is hijacked, then crashes while attempting to land with 75 on board.
  • September 17BangladeshBangladesh, Grenada and Guinea-Bissau join the United Nations.
  • August 14Turkish invasion of CyprusTurkey launches the second phase of the invasion of Cyprus, which eventually resulted in the Turkish occupation of 37% of Cyprus.
  • June 26Universal Product CodeThe Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.
  • May 4ManasluAn all-female Japanese team reached the summit of Manaslu in the Himalayas, becoming the first women to climb a peak higher than 8,000 me…
  • June 1Henry HeimlichIn an informal article in a medical journal, Henry Heimlich introduced the concept of abdominal thrusts, commonly known as the Heimlich m…
  • November 21Birmingham pub bombingsBombs exploded in two pubs in central Birmingham, England, killing 21 people and leading to the imprisonment of six people who were later…
  • November 16Arecibo messageThe Arecibo message is broadcast from Puerto Rico.

Everything we record for 1974 →

Sources

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“Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/lockheed-sr-71-blackbird-1974-september-1, accessed October 27, 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 Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird happen?

September 1 1974 — 52 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

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

How do I cite this page?

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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