July 1857: Matías Pérez goes up in an air balloon. In his second attempt, endangered by gusty winds, he disappears from the horizon forever, giving way to the popular expression: "He flew like Matías Pérez".

May 7, 1910: First airplane flight in Cuba. For a few minutes, Frenchman André Bellot rose into space in a 60HP Voisin biplane. He took off from the Almendares Hippodrome and fell almost immediately but he was not hurt.

February 1, 1911: Aerial exhibitions begin in Havana, Cuba at the Military Camp of Columbia, by a group of pilots from Curtiss Exhibition Company.

February 5, 1911: Canadian pilot, James McCurdy made a spectacular flight from the Military Camp of Columbia to the Morro Castle, in his 60HP Belmont biplane.

January 2, 1912: In Havana, for the first time a Cuban goes up in an airplane. Agustín Parlá Orduña, accompanied by pilot and teacher Charles F. Walsh.

April 20, 1912: Agustín Parlá graduates as a pilot from Curtiss School, in Miami, Florida. First Cuban graduated pilot.

October 22, 1912: Spanish-born Domingo Rosillo del Toro graduates as pilot in Paris, France.

March 31, 1913: Domingo Rosillo flies over Havana, Cuba.

May 17, 1913: Domingo Rosillo piloting his French Morane monoplane, flew from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba winning a prize of $10,000. as the first aviator to cross the 90 miles between Key West, Florida and Havana, Cuba.

May 19, 1913: Agustín Parlá made the second international flight from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba. Parlá had only a compass while Rosillo preferred a naval escort.

July 5, 1913: Creation of the Aviation Corps of the Cuban Army. Agustín Parlá "Father of Cuban Aviation" was named Captain.

February 25, 1914: Rosillo flies from Pinar del Rio, at the most occidental part of the Isle of Cuba, into Havana, Cuba.

May 1914: Cuban aviator, Jaime González Crocier made one of the longest flights of the era, Cienfuegos-La Habana (178 miles).

December 1914: First inverted flight (looping the loop) in Cuba, made by Spanish-born aviator, José Piñeiro.

May 24, 1915: First flight SCU/HAV (Santiago de Cuba-Havana) with stops, made by Cuban pilot Jaime González Crocier, which lasted 7 hours.

September 14, 1917: The first Cuban fleet was created and offered to France, named "LE ESCUADRILLE CUBAINE". Cuban aviator, Santiago Campuzano organized this fleet and received a medal of valor from the French government.

May 15, 1918: By law, the Aviation School and the Cuban Air Squadron were created.

May 12, 1919: The first Cuban government owned aircraft was christened with the name "SUNSHINE".

May 29, 1919: Agustín Parlá carries out the first commercial flight with the United States in an aircraft named "SUNSHINE".

June 29, 1919: First aerial photos of Havana are taken from aboard "SUNSHINE".

October 1919: Compañía Aérea de Cuba was founded by millionaire businessman Anibal J. de Mesa, who hired Agustín Parlá as General Manager. Unfortunately, because of the economic depression in Cuba, CAC folded in January 20, after just three months of existence.

April 13, 1920: Florida West Indies Airways Co. is founded and later merged with Aeromarine Co., airplane builders, forming the new company Aeromarine West Indies Airways Co.

July 4, 1920: Cuban pioneer pilot, Jaime González Crocier, dies while piloting his airplane. His plane had trouble right after departure at La Bien Agradecida, in Luyanó.

October 1920: Compañía Aérea Cubana commences service Havana-Cienfuegos-Santa Clara with two round trip weekly flights. Air fare was $50.00 and $70.00 from Havana to Cienfuegos and Santa Clara and $25.00 between Cienfuegos and Santa Clara.

November 1, 1920: Aeromarine West Indies Airways commences daily scheduled flights to transport mail between La Habana and Key West, with hidroplanes named, Santa María and La Pinta. Also passenger flights began with the same equipment and capacity for 11 passenger per flight.

February 1921: French aviatrix Madame Harveux makes several flights over Columbia Military Camp.

September 1921: Due to the economical crisis of 1920-21, Compañía Aérea Cubana ceases operations.

December 1922: A German hydroplane unit (Junkers) arrived in Cuba.

December 22, 1922: A Junker hydroplane flights from La Chorrera, Havana to Santiago de Cuba, Oriente province.

January 1924: The famous French aviator Charles Nungesser accompanied by the also famous French pilots, André Bellot and Maurice Weiss arrived at the Military Columbia Airport, in Havana.

May 24, 1925: Cuban president, Gral. Gerardo Machado commands the reorganization of the Aviation Corps in the Cuban Army. Three hangars were built and Corsair airplanes bought. A new Command Building is built as well as the mechanic's shop and the Parachutes Dept.

October 28, 1927: A wood and fabric Fokker trimotor airplane loaded the sacks of U.S. Mail and bouncing along a dirt runway at Key West, Florida headed south across the waters.....and one hour and ten minutes later landed at Havana, Cuba, 90 miles away.

Cuban government officials, including Cuban President General Gerardo Machado himself, were on hand to greet the plane, for this was a very special occasion: the very first scheduled international flight of Pan American Airways (PAA) from the United States into Cuba.

This plane was christened "General Machado".

Within three months the fledging airline was carrying passengers as well as mail on a daily schedule between Florida and Cuba.....and making plans to extend its routes to the rest of the Caribbean and into Latin America.

February 8, 1928: World known pilot, Charles A. Lindbergh arrives in Havana from Haiti piloting the "Spirit of St. Louis" on his Goodwill Tour of the Caribbean. February 8 was known as Lindbergh Day. Following his Atlantic crossing, Lindbergh visited many countries in his plane, and he had the national flags of each country painted in the fuselage. The Cuban flag is the last one because following his trip, Lindbergh retired "The Spirit of St. Louis" and donated it to the Smithsonian Institution, where it is exhibited today at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

February 12, 1928: President Gerardo Machado y Morales flies over Havana, with Charles Lindbergh.

January 9, 1929: The Pan Am Airways aircraft "CUBA" arrived in Havana to start the route between the United States, Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico.

March 1929: The start of what is today the José Martí International Airport is authorized by General Order No. 223.

October 8, 1929: Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss S.A. is founded. Later it was to become Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación and on March 21, 1944 it was to be known as Compañía Cubana de Aviación.

February 24, 1930: José Martí International Airport is officially inaugurated.

October 30, 1930: The first inaugural CNCAC, S.A. flight HAV/SCU (Havana-Santiago de Cuba) carries the mail using a Ford trimotor with stops in Santa Clara, Morón and Camaguey.

April 1, 1931: Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss S.A. operates an amphibian monoplane Sikorsky S-38 between Holguín and Baracoa, in the Oriente province, with stops in Antilla and Cayo Mambí.

The Sikorsky landed at the Holguín strip and in the water at Cayo Mambí and Baracoa.

January 1, 1932: Passenger service started between Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo. Also in 1932, every Tuesday, passenger service to Isla de Pinos was started.

March 1932: Pan American Airways bought CNCAC, S.A. and shortened the name to CNCA.

June 10, 1933: The historic aircraft "Cuatro Vientos" (Four Winds) arrives in Camaguey, Cuba from Seville, Spain piloted by Capt. Mariano Barberán and Lt. Joaquín Collar. The next day they departed to Columbia Airport, in Havana, Cuba.

June 20, 1933: Capt. Barberán and Lt. Collar departed Havana, Cuba on their way to Mexico City, but were never heard from again.

1935: Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación replaces the Ford trimotor equipment for Lockheed Electra aircrafts, increasing their annual revenues.

January 10, 1936: Start of flights HAV/MAD (Havana-Madrid) with stops in Venezuela, Natal and Dakkar by the aircraft "4th of September" commanded by Capt. Antonio Menéndez Pélaez. The Lockheed Sirius aircraft christened "4th of September" was flown previously by Lt. Antonio Menéndez Pélaez between Camaguey, Cuba and Seville, Spain. This plane was made out of wood lined with cloth, had a WASP Pratt & Whitney 550HP engine, with a cruising speed of 180 mph and no radio.

November 11, 1937: Sponsored by the Sociedad Colombista Panamericana, the flight "Pro Faro Colón" began, consisting in 3 Cuban planes ("Niña", "Pinta" and "Santa María") and one Dominican plane ("Colón") with 53 stops planned.

December 29, 1937: A few minutes after takeoff from the Cali, Colombia airport, the Escuadrilla Panamericana suffered an accident, crashing into flames the Cuban aircrafts. The "Santa María" piloted by Lt. Antonio Menéndez Pélaez, mechanic Manuel Naranjo and Official News Reporter Ruy de Lugo Viñas; the "Niña" piloted by Lt. Feliciano Risech Amat and mechanic Alberto Medina Pérez and the "Pinta" piloted by Lt. Alfredo Jiménez Alum and mechanic Pedro Castillo. All crew and persons on board died.

According to official information from the scene, the Cuban pilots took the route over Cali river north, and were confronted with sudden bad weather, and since the aircraft were overloaded, they could not reach a higher altitude to avoid the danger in that area. Visual witnesses of the accident confirmed that the first aircraft to crash was the largest one, the "Santa María", followed by the "Niña" and the "Pinta" which were trying to return when they saw the "Santa María" go down.

The "Colón" aircraft piloted by the Dominican Mayor Frank A. Féliz Miranda and the Dominican mechanic Ernesto Tejeda Matos were at the end of the squadron flying at a higher altitude and thus they arrived safely at their final destination.

1939: The Cuban Red Cross buys a "Stinson" SR-8 Reliant, to be used for emergencies.

1940: A Howard DGA-8 aircraft from the Cuban Navy Air Corps makes a goodwill flight "Pro Faro Colón" covering 20,000 miles and 22 countries of Latin America withouth any incidents.

At the time, in Cuba, there were only 21 aircrafts registered and 12 of them belonged to the Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación.

June 3, 1940: The Academia Nacional de Aviación Civil y Reserva Aérea (ANACRA) is created.

1942: First Cuban made aircraft "Estrella Errante" (Wandering Star) designed and constructed by Major Benigno Díaz, First Lt. Jorge Melo and Roberto Gude.

Expreso Aéreo Interamericano carries out is inaugural flight HAV/SAL (Havana- San Salvador) with a C-46.

January 14, 1943: The first Control Tower in the country is built at the Aeropuerto Rancho Boyeros in Havana.

January 27, 1944: The Union of Air Transportation Workers is founded in Havana, Cuba.

March 21, 1944: Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación changes its name to COMPANIA CUBANA DE AVIACION.

February 8, 1945: By means of Decree 409, the control of civil aviation is transferred from the Cuban Army to the newly created Commission of National Transportation.

April 16, 1945: The International Association of Air Transport (IATA) is formed at Havana, Cuba.

May 1, 1945: Cubana commences daily night flights Havana-Camaguey with DC-3 aircrafts.

May 15, 1945: First international operations of Cubana de Aviación in the route HAV/MIA (Havana-Miami) with DC-3 equipment.

October 1945: With an active capital of $1,110,000.00 "Aerovías Q" is founded by Col. Manuel Quevedo.

September 1946: Aerovias Q establishes passenger and cargo flights between Havana, Cuba and Key West, Florida.

November 24, 1946: First commercial Cuban flight to Spain, on the aircraft "Ruta de Colón" by Aerovías Cuba Internacional, with DC-4, registration N44567.

February 6, 1947: "Ruta de Colón" aircraft crashes at 1,400 meters between El Fraile and Las Flores, in Avila, Spain.

April 24, 1947: By Decree # 1150, the Cuban government suspended the gasoline tax for aviation gasoline used in Cuba which supplied the international service aircrafts.

April 26, 1948: Cubana de Aviación carries out its first transatlantic flight HAV/MAD (Havana-Madrid) on board a DC-4 named "Estrella de Cuba" (Cuban Star).

May 5, 1948: Cubana de Aviación inaugurates its first transatlantic flight MAD-HAV (Madrid-Havana) on board DC-4 "Estrella de Cuba".

July 1948: Cubana starts service SCU/PAP (Santiago de Cuba-Port au Prince, with DC-3 aircrafts.

August 16, 1948: With an authorized capital of $400,000.00 Cuba Aeropostal is born.

May 3, 1949: Cuba Aeropostal starts operations with 4 Curtiss C-46 and 2 Douglas DC-3 aircrafts, from the Military Airport at Columbia, Havana to Miami and Nueva Gerona, Isla de Pinos.

March 13, 1950: By Decree 926 the Civil Aeronautic Board is created and controlled by the First Minister and the Ministers of State and Communications.

April 2, 1950: First flight HAV/ROM (Havana-Rome) by Cubana, "The route of the stars" with DC-4 aircraft.

April 26, 1951: Fatal accident of "Estrella de Cuba" aircraft CUT-188 when it crashes with a U.S. Navy aircraft that was practicing instrument flying.

Forty eight people died including Captain Javier Zayas-Bazán. It is believed that the Control Tower at Boca Chica, Fl., gave the wrong altitude to the U.S. Navy airplane.

August 16, 1951: First night flight SCU/HAV (Santiago de Cuba-Havana) with DC-3 aircraft.

May 2, 1952: By Decree Law # 41, the Civil Aeronautics Board (Dirección General de Transporte Aéreo) is created.

May 16, 1952: The Air Force of the Cuban Army (FAEC) gets the first of 28 fighter aircrafts Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, for the recently created, "Fighters Fleet".

June 1952: The Army Aviation Corps changes to Cuban Army Airforce (FAEC).

1952: Pan American Airways releases control over Cubana de Aviación as a group of Cuban businessmen, represented by Mr. José López Vilaboy acquires the majority of Cubana's stock.

By the end of the year, Cuba Aeropostal buys two C-46 for cargo use in its route HAV/MIA (Havana-Miami).

December 6, 1952: "Estrella de Oriente" DC-4 registration CU-T397 suffers an accident over Bermuda on its way to Havana, coming from Madrid, only 3 miles after leaving Bermuda. Many died, including Capt. René Ayala, who commanded the aircraft.

January 1953: Cubana inaugurates the route Havana-Varadero.

June 15, 1953: First Cubana flight HAV/MAD (Havana-Madrid) in a Lockheed L-1049G Constellation.

September 17, 1953: First flight HAV/MEX (Havana-Mexico) in a Cubana Constellation.

1954: Cubana de Aviación is no longer a subsidiary of Pan American World Airways.

October 14, 1954: Cubana gets first position in buying the first L-1049E, becoming the first company to acquire this aircraft.

November 1954: Cubana buys a Lockheed L-1049E Constellation, registration CU-T573.

December 22, 1954: The Commission of Civil Aeronautics is created by Law-Decree 1863.

October 1955: The Baseball World Series were seen live in Cuba for the first time using a DC-3 from Cubana as a reception antenna, receiving the signal from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba, and retransmitting it to the rest of the island. This aircraft circled between Key West and Havana to retransmit the signal anticipating in many years ahead the use of the satellite TV transmission. Cuban baseball player, Edmundo Amorós leftfielder for the Dodgers, saved the game, when with the bases loaded, he caught a fly and turn it into a double play, getting the two outs needed to end the inning and winning the World Series.

February 20, 1956: Cubana receives 3 Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellations.

March 5, 1956: First Cubana flight HAV/MAD (Havana-Madrid) in L-1049G Super Constellation.

May 12, 1956: Cubana initiates its HAV/NYC (Havana-New York) with their new fleet of Super Constellations.

May 20, 1956: Cubana buys 3 Vicker Viscounts Serie 700 for the route HAV/MIA (Havana-Miami).

May 25, 1956: "Antonio Maceo" International Airport opens in Santiago de Cuba, Oriente province, Cuba.

October 1956: Once again the World Series were transmitted to Cuba using a Cubana Airlines DC-3 circling between Key West and Havana. This time with the same opponents as last year, the Yankees won the series, thanks to the perfect pictching game thrown by Don Larsen.

June 10, 1957: Compañía Cubana de Aviación places an order to purchase 2 Jets Boeing 707-121, placing a deposit of $200,000.00 for each aircraft with an option for another aircraft.

By mid 1957, the Cuban Army Air Force receives the first group of B-26 Invaders aircraft, for a total of 17 including two trainers (B-26T).

December 1957: Aerovias Q buys two DC-4 for passenger service between Havana-Key West and Havana- West Palm Beach.

1958: Expreso Aéreo Interamericano operates 3 C-46 cargo planes from the José Martí Airport (Rancho Boyeros) in Havana to Miami, Florida. At the beginning of 1958, Cubana de Aviación purchases from Cunard Eagle Airways, 4 Vicker Viscounts 800 Series aircrafts.

November 24, 1958: Cubana gets 4 Bristol Britannia 318 aircrafts "The Silent Giant " for its route HAV/MEX (Havana-Mexico).

January 1959: With the help of the freed pilots that took part in the riots of September 5th, 1957, Lt. Manuel Villafaña Martínez is named Chief of FAEC (Cuban Air Force).

May 25, 1959: Fidel Castro and his "revolutionaries" confiscate Cubana de Aviación.

September 1960: The government of the United States confiscates the Cubana aircraft CU-T670, which took the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro to the city of New York, to participate at the XV General Assembly of the United Nations.

April 15, 1961: B-26 aircrafts from the Cuban Brigade 2506 bombarded the José Martí International Airport in Havana and the Antonio Maceo International Airport in Santiago de Cuba, two days prior to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, organized by the U.S. government and with the participation of the heroic Cuban exiles.

Other international airlines that flew in Cuba:

AEROLINEAS ARGENTINAS connected New York to Havana, and to the south Trinidad, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, with DC-6 equipment.

AEROPOSTAL VENEZOLANA S.A. flew Miami-Havana-Caracas with Super Constellations.

ALA, Transportes Aéreos de Chile, in 1958 started non-scheduled services between Santiago de Chile and Havana, with stops in Perú and Panamá, with DC-4.

BRANIFF AIRWAYS, connected Havana to the north with Texas and others states and to the south with Panamá and other South American countries, such as Ecuador, Perú, Colombia, Argentina and others, with DC-6 equipment.

DELTA AIRLINES to the north Havana with New Orleans and Chicago and to the south with Montego Bay, Jamaica and Caracas. It also flew from Havana to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Ciudad Trujillo, Rep. Dom., and San Juan, Puerto Rico. It flew with Convair 440 and DC-7.

IBERIA, Líneas Aéreas from Spain, vied with Cubana in the route Habana-Madrid, with Super Constellations.

KLM, Compañía Real Holandesa, flew between Miami-Havana-Curazao, with DC-6 and DC-7 and the route Havana-Montreal-Europa with DC-7.

LACSA, Líneas Aéreas Costarricenses, connected Havana with San José de Costa Rica and other cities in Central America, such as Guatemala, mainly with Convair 340.

MAKEY AIRLINES inaugurated its passenger service between Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Havana, with DC-4.

MEXICANA DE AVIACION flew between Havana, Mérida and México, 4 times weekly with the same equipment as PAA.

NATIONAL AIRLINES in 1958 flew daily the route Havana-New York and Havana-Miami, with DC-6, DC-7 and Convair340 & 440, respectively.

PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS en 1958 connected Havana to Miami (around 8 daily flights), with Mérida and El Salvador, with DC-4, DC-6 and DC-7. Also it had flights from Camaguey to Miami and to the south, Jamaica, Venezuela and other South American countries.

TAN, Transportes Aéreos Nacionales (Honduras) connected Havana to Central America with C-46 equipment.