75 years ago today, on October 14, 1947, Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager became the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound when he piloted his X-1 rocket plane to a speed of Mach 1.06, or 700 mph. During World War II, Chuck Yeager distinguished himself in aerial combat over France and Germany during the years 1943-1945 by shooting down 13 enemy aircraft, including one of Germany's first jet fighters. In July 1966 he assumed command of the 405th Fighter Wing at Clark Air Base in the Philippines and flew 127 missions Vietnam. All in all, Chuck Yeager flew more than 10,000 hours in more than 361 different makes and models of military aircraft. In addition to the Collier Trophy, which he received in 1948 for breaking the sound barrier, he was awarded the MacKay Trophy in 1948 and the Harmon International Trophy in 1954.