1877 Ernst Mach, an Austrian scientist, uses bullets to record the speed of sound, thereafter known as Mach 1.

1903 In December, American brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright achieve the first powered flight of an aircraft, at 30mph and for 12 seconds.

1930 Englishman Frank Whittle enters a patent for his turbo jet engine.

1931 The British Supermarine S6B fitted with a Rolls Royce engine becomes the first aircraft to exceed 400mph.

1936 German scientist, Hans Von Ohain enters a patent for his turbo jet engine.

1939 On 7 July, British company Power Jets receives its first contract for a Whittle engine, the W1.

1939 Designed by German engineer Ernst Heinkel and powered by Von Ohain's jet engine, the German Heinkel He178 makes its first flight.

1940 The Gloster Aircraft Company in Britain develops the Pioneer – the first aircraft using the Whittle engine.

1941 Pioneer makes its test flight on 15 May.

1943 British intelligence learn of German research into supersonic flight.

1943 The British Government commission Miles Aircraft of Reading to develop an aircraft that will break the sound barrier – work begins on the M52 project.

1944 The German air force introduce the Messerschmitt 262, the first operational jet aircraft.

1945 The Americans reveal their supersonic contender, the Bell X-1.

1945 The Gloster Meteor is the first jet fighter to reach 600mph, approaching the speed of sound.

1946 The British government scrap the M52 project considering it too dangerous.

1946 On 27 September, the De Havilland DH 108 Swallow, a British plane, takes off on a practice run for an air speed record-breaking attempt. It's piloted by De Havilland's chief test pilot, Geoffrey De Havilland Junior, son of the company's founder. While low flying over the Thames Estuary, the plane disintegrates, killing De Havilland.

1947 On 14 October, Captain Chuck Yeager becomes the first man to break the sound barrier, in the American Bell X-1.

1948 In September, a new prototype of the De Havilland DH 108 Swallow becomes the first British plane to break the sound barrier.

1952 On 2 May the De Havilland Comet 1 becomes the first jet power passenger plane to fly a commercial route, between London and New York.

1953 On 20 November, the American Douglas D558-2 Sky Rocket becomes the first plane to fly at Mach 2 – twice the speed of sound.

1964 The official air speed record is held by the Russian E166, which reaches Mach 3 – thrice the speed of sound.

1969 Concorde completes its first supersonic flight, at Mach 2.

1976 British Airways and Air France inaugurate the era of supersonic passenger travel with the first regularly scheduled Concorde flights. BA's initial route is from London to Bahrain, Air France's is from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

1976 The SR71 Blackbird becomes the air speed record holder, passing Mach 6 – six times the speed of sound.