Air Force One is the airline call sign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. Since 1990, the presidential fleet has consisted of two specifically-configured, highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft—tail numbers 28000 and 29000—with Air Force designation VC-25A. These planes are maintained by the U.S. Air Force solely for presidential air transport. From its inception, Air Force One has become a symbol of Presidential power and prestige, carrying the president on several diplomatic missions. Before these planes entered service, two Boeing 707-320B-type aircraft—tail numbers 26000 and 27000—had operated as Air Force One, starting in 1962. The Secret Service refers to Air Force One by the codename "Angel."
Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_One
Today's selected anniversaries:
1817 The Bank of Montreal, Canada's oldest chartered bank, opened in Montreal, Quebec. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_Montreal)
1917 The Balfour Declaration proclaimed British support for Jewish settlements in Palestine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Declaration_1917)
1947 Howard Hughes flew Spruce Goose, the largest flying boat ever built, on its maiden flight in Long Beach, California. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spruce_Goose)
1959 After being struck in the face with a hockey puck, Jacques Plante played the rest of the game wearing a goalie mask, now an everyday equipment for goalkeepers in ice hockey. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Plante)
2000 The first crew arrived at the International Space Station. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station)
Wikiquote of the day:
"The progress of the intellect is to the clearer vision of causes, which neglects surface differences. To the poet, to the philosopher, to the saint, all things are friendly and sacred, all events profitable, all days holy, all men divine." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson)