Test pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 on October 14, 1947.
On October 14, 1947, U.S. Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound.
On October 14, 1947, U.S. Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. He completed the historic flight in a Bell X-1 rocket plane named "Glamorous Glennis" after his wife. The aircraft reached Mach 1.07, or about 821 mph, after being dropped from a Boeing B-29 bomber.
Yeager accomplished the feat despite breaking two ribs in a horse fall the night before. The sound barrier, or Mach 1, is approximately 760 mph. NASA notes that Air Force officials classified the flight data as Top Secret within two hours, keeping the achievement hidden until leaks and official confirmation arrived months later.
The Bell X-1 started as the XS-1 project, developed jointly by NACA and the U.S. Army Air Forces. Bell Aircraft built the 30-foot experimental rocket plane, which used liquid oxygen and ethyl alcohol for power. NASA states the project established the concept of aircraft built strictly for research without military or commercial constraints.
The X-1 program laid the groundwork for ongoing military and NASA research, including the modern X-59 supersonic plane designed to test quieter sonic booms for potential commercial land travel.
WireUnWired turns the supplied report into a clearer brief, preserves the original publisher and author details, and adds relevant context without hiding where the information came from.
Relevant WireUnWired coverage is connected so one story can lead into the larger technology context.
Original publication: 14 October 2026 22:00
NASA — Recently PublishedNASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to Pilot F-5 Fighter Jet in MetLife Stadium Flyover on October 11
NASA — Recently PublishedSpaceX Falcon 9 Launches NASA CRS-35 Cargo Mission to the International Space Station on October 13
NASA — Recently PublishedPhotographers Capture Mars and the Beehive Star Cluster Beneath a Swedish Aurora on October 14, 2026