Born Alameda, California, December 14, 1896. Doolittle
won his wings in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1918. In 1922
he became the first man to fly across the United States in
less than 24 hours, first aviator to fly an outside loop,
first to make a blind flight.
Pioneered the science of instrument flying in 1929 by taking
off completely blind in a plane with a covered cockpit, flying
a set course, and landing without ever seeing the ground. His
racing wins include the Bendix Trophy Race in 1931, and the
Thompson Trophy Race in 1932.
In World War II, then Lt. Colonel, Doolittle led the first
retaliatory bombing of Tokyo, a flight of B-25s lauched from
the aircraft carriet Hornet, April 18, 1942. Commanded the famed
8th Air Force to victory in the skies of Europe. His military
honors include the Congressional Medal of Honor and the
Distinguished Flying Cross.
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