On this day, pioneering aviator Glenn H. Curtiss made what is widely recognized as the first successful seaplane flight in the United States.

The year was 1916, just 12½ years after the Wright brothers had their first successful flight at Kitty Hawk. World War I was underway in Europe, and the U.S. would join the fray the following year.

Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on July 15, according to the Tribune’s archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. The statue of St. Frances Xavier ...

Naval aviation in crisis -- Seaplanes and strategy -- Carrier Conundrum -- Seaplane reborn -- Designs -- SeaMaster -- New look, new missions -- Toward an operational force -- End of the line siris_sil ...

This donation consists of one 8" x 40" black and white candid panoramic image inscribed with the following caption "Mail Plane leaving Hampton Roads, VA for Washington, DC. Feb. 1919." The photograph ...