1493- First President to Travel by Plane on Official Government Business

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the first president to travel on official business by airplane. The 32nd president was traveling to North Africa for a meeting with Winston Churchill about World War II strategy plans. He flew the 17,000 mile round trip on a Boeing 314 Flying Boat called the Dixie Clipper. He left Florida, landed in the Caribbean to refuel, Covered South America’s Southern Coast, landed in Brazil, then continued over the Atlantic to Gambia. The flight ended on January 14, 1493 when they reached Casablanca and began the conference.

Roosevelt ended up celebrating his 61st birthday on the plane back to America.

(Taken from: www.history.com/this-day-in-history)