April 18

What happened on April 18 in aviation and space history.

• April 18, 1942

  Doolittle Raid

  Milestone — Sixteen B-25B bombers, each with a crew of five, launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Pacific Ocean to bomb military and industrial targets in Japan, without fighter escort, continuing afterward toward China. The raid caused limited material damage but had a major psychological effect on both sides.