Royal Australian Air Force

Historical eventMarch 311921

Royal Australian Air Force

The Australian Air Force was formed, replacing the short-lived Australian Air Corps and separating it from the Army.

Everything on March 31Original source
Photo: US Air Force photo by Richard Gonzales · Public domain

In context

When
Thursday, March 31 1921105 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1920s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1921.

Place: Australia.

Type: air force.

Founded / initiated by: Richard Williams.

What happened

History Main article: History of the Royal Australian Air Force Formation The RAAF traces its history back to the 1911 Imperial Conference that was held in London, where it was decided that aviation should be developed within the armed forces of the British Empire . Australia implemented this decision, the first dominion to do so, by approving the establishment of the "Australian Aviation Corps". This initially consisted of the Central Flying School at Point Cook, Victoria , opening on 22 October 1912. [

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally, the governor-general of Australia is the de jure commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force is commanded by the Chief of Air Force (CAF), who is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). The CAF is also directly responsible to the Minister for Defence,

March 31 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1921Royal Australian Air Force
  2. 1995TAROM Flight 371
  3. 1998Netscape
  4. 2004Old National Library Building
  5. 2004Anbar campaign (2003–2011)
  6. 2005Dwarf planet
  7. 2016NASA
  8. 2018Gyumri
  9. 20182018 Armenian Revolution
  10. 2023Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023
  11. 2023Belvidere Apollo Theatre collapse

Also in 1921

  • November 17Prince of Wales riotsRioting broke out in Bombay, India, during the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales, leading to at least 58 deaths.
  • March 18Russian Civil WarRussian Civil War: Bolshevik forces suppressed a rebellion of sailors and civilians in Kronstadt.
  • July 231st National Congress of the Chinese Communist PartyThe first National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party opened in a house in Shanghai.
  • March 1Kronstadt rebellionThe Kronstadt rebellion began following mass protests in Petrograd demanding greater freedom in Russia with sailors and citizens taking u…
  • March 1Australia national cricket teamThe Australian cricket team, led by Warwick Armstrong, became the first team to complete a whitewash in the Ashes, an achievement that wo…
  • November 1Frances KyleFrances Kyle was called to the Bar of Ireland, becoming the first female barrister in Ireland or Great Britain.
  • March 30Australian Air CorpsThe Australian Air Corps was disbanded, to be replaced the following day by the Australian Air Force.
  • October 26Chicago TheatreThe Chicago Theatre (pictured), the oldest surviving grand movie palace, opened.

Everything we record for 1921 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Royal Australian Air Force”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/royal-australian-air-force-1921-march-31, 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 Royal Australian Air Force happen?

March 31 1921 — 105 years ago, on a Thursday.

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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