Eugene B. Ely became the first person ever to land an aircraft on the deck of a warship when he landed on the deck of the U.S.S. Pennsylvania on January 18, 1911. On November 14, 1910, Ely, an employee of Glenn Curtiss who was trying to sell airplanes to the Navy, had become the first man to take-off from a warship - the U.S.S. Birmingham. His pioneering flights demonstrated the adaptability of aircraft to shipboard operations.

Credits - U.S. Air Force Photo