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Wednesday, Aug. 19, is National Aviation Day, in celebration of Orville Wright's 144th birthday. National Aviation Day was established in 1939 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Here are 10 more facts about aviation that you probably didn't know:
1. KLM Airlines, Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (Royal Aviation Company), was founded in 1919, making it the world's oldest airline still operating under its original name.
2. The air pressure onboard an airplane affects your sense of taste.
3. Although the Hindenburg was filled with 7 million cubic feet of highly combustible gas, there was a smoker's lounge onboard.
4. The first female flight attendants were hired in 1930 by United Airlines.
5. The German airline Lufthansa purchases more than 10 tons of caviar per year.
6. Hijacking an airplane was not officially outlawed until 1961.
7. An estimated 25 percent of passengers pay full price for first class.
8. The other 75 percent receive upgrades, use frequent-flyer miles or are employed by the airline.
9. Stewardess is the longest word in the English language that is typed entirely with the left hand.
10. The next time you are flying the friendly skies, remember: Statistically, it's the safest way to travel.
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