April 18, 1940—Ames Aeronautical Laboratory in Moffett Field, California (later renamed NASA Ames Research Center), was formed.

January 23, 1941—NACA Aircraft Engine Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio, later named Lewis Research Center, currently NASA Glenn Research Center, was founded.

1941—Report NACA R755, “Requirements for Satisfactory Flying Qualities of an Airplane,” by R.R. Gilruth, was published. This document defined a set of requirements for the handling characteristics of an aircraft. Up until this point, no set of guidelines for pilots and aircraft designers existed.

1944—Ames 40x80 full-scale wind tunnel became operational. It allowed whole aircraft to be wind-tunnel-tested, as compared to models at low flight speeds, and expanded testing capabilities to larger and faster aircraft.

1945—Robert T. Jones developed in the U.S. the Swept Wing Concept, in which he identified the importance of swept-back wings in efficiently achieving and maintaining high-speed flight.

September 1946—NACA Langley sent personnel to Muroc Army Airfield, in the Mohave Desert of California, to support flight research, forming the basis for what was to become NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.

1947—X-1 was the first piloted supersonic aircraft to “break the sound barrier.” Chuck Yeager flew the air-launched, rocket-powered first “X” series experimental aircraft faster than the speed of sound, ushering in the era of supersonic flight.

1949—National Unitary Wind Tunnel Act of 1949 enabled NACA to erect supersonic tunnels at each of its three research centers, with priority utilization reserved for industry testing. The new facilities proved their worth almost immediately with the discovery of the “Area Rule.”

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