History of Air Cargo and Air Mail

History of Air Cargo or Air Freight and Air Mail

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The most complete timelines of the history of air cargo and airmail (from a civil as well as military perspective) can now be found on Wikipedia:

Overall Timeline of Air Cargo and Airmail (1780s - 2020s) with further details per decade:

1910, November 7 – (United States) The world's first commercial air cargo flight.
1911, February 18 – (India) The world's first successful airmail delivery by an airplane.
1911, June 28 – (United States) The world's first airplane charter flight.
1912, December 5 – (United States) First U.S. postage stamp, the world's first stamp featuring an airplane.
1916, March 27 – (United Kingdom) The world's first large-scale military air-supply attempt.
1917, May – (Italy) The world's first official airmail stamp.
1917, September 2 – (Argentina) The world's first official international airmail flight.
1918, September 7 – (United States) The world's first recorded demonstration of troop transport by air.
1918, October 1-4 – (Belgium) The world's first successful aerial supply mission.
1918, December 25 – (France - Spain) The world's first civilian international airmail service.
1919, June 14 – (Newfoundland–Ireland) The first non-stop transatlantic flight and first non-stop transatlantic airmail flight.
1919, June 14-15 – (United Kingdom - Germany) The world's first night-airmail service.
1919, August 25 – (United Kingdom - France) The world's first scheduled international daily air-service carrying passengers and cargo.
1919, November 11 – (England - Europe) The world's first public overseas airmail service.

1921, Undated – (United Kingdom) The world's first cargo handling warehouse opens.
1921, Undated – (United Kingdom) The world's first airline to transport a racehorse (and probably also the world's first airline to transport live animals).

1930, May 12–13 – (France / South Atlantic) The world's first nonstop commercial flight across the South Atlantic Ocean.
1936, July-October – (Spain) The world's first long-range combat airlift.

1940s, Undated – (United States) The world's first airline to set up its own airline-operated cargo handling terminals.
1940, April 9 - June 10 – (Germany / Denmark, Norway) The world's first airdrop of infantry in combat.
1940, May 10–28 – (Germany / Netherlands, Belgium) The world's first use of gliders for transport of troops and materiel in combat.
1942, May 22 – (United States) The world's first corrugated cardboard cartons for air cargo packaging.
1942, October – (United States) The world's first air cargo magazine.
1946, July 31 – (United States) the world's first airline to transport refrigerated freight (perishables) in commercial service.
1947, January 30 – (United States - Europe) The world's first regularly scheduled all-cargo air service to operate over the North Atlantic Ocean.
1947, October 1 – (United States) The world's first helicopter mail service.

1950s, Undated – (United States) The world's first pet carrier container for air travel.
1950, April 18 – (Canada - United States) The world's first jet airmail.
1951, May – (Bermuda) The world's first Multilateral Interline Cargo Handling Agreement.
1951, August 15 – (United Kingdom) The world's first turboprop freight services.
1951, September 13 – (United States / Korea) The world's first helicopter airlift and helicopter sling load combat mission.
1954, Undated – (United States) The world's first air cargo industry unit load device (ULD).
1957, Undated – (United States) The world's first standardized air cargo handling system, including the specification of a standardized master pallet.