SR-71 Significant Events
Below is a table of significant events in the development and operation of the SR-71 Blackbird and its predecessors. I developed this table from an excellent book on the Blackbird "Lockheed SR-71 - The Secret Missions Exposed" by Paul F Crickmore.
| Year | Date | Event |
| 1957 | 24 Dec | 1st J58 Engine Run |
| 1959 | 29 Aug | US Accepts A-12 Design |
| 1960 | 30 Jan | CIA Approves Oxcart Project |
| 1962 | 26 Apr | 1st Flight of A-12, Pilot Lou Schalk |
| 1962 | 4 Jun | SR-71 Mock up Reviewed by USAF |
| 1962 | 30 Jun | J58 Competes Pre-Flight Rating Test |
| 1962 | 28 Dec | Lockheed Contracted to Build 6 Production SR-71 Aircraft |
| 1963 | 31 Jan | 1st J58 Air Tested |
| 1963 | 24 May | 1st A-12 Lost in Accident |
| 1963 | 7 Aug | 1st Flight YF-12 Pilot J Eastham |
| 1964 | 29 Feb | Existence of Oxcart, A-12 Announced |
| 1964 | 25 Jul | Pres. Johnon, 1st Public Announcement of Mach Aircraft. Twists Letters RS-71 and says SR-71. Designation Sticks |
| 1964 | 29 Oct | SR-71 Prototype to Palmdale |
| 1964 | 7 Dec | SR-71s to be Based at Beale AFB Announced |
| 1964 | 18 Dec | 1st Engine Run of SR-71 Prototype |
| 1964 | 21 Dec | SR-71 Taxi Tests |
| 1964 | 22 Dec | 1st Flight of SR-71, Palmdale, Pilot Bob Gilliland |
| 1964 | 22 Dec | 1st Flight M-12/D21, Groom Dry Lake, Nevada |
| 1965 | 3 Mar | 1st Flight of YF-12C |
| 1965 | 1 May | YF-12 Sets 9 Speed & Altitude Records |
| 1965 | 1 Jun | SR-71/YF-12 Test Force Formed Edwards AFB |
| 1965 | 7 Jul | 1st 2 T-38 Companion Trainers Delivered to Beale AFB |
| 1965 | 2 Nov | SR-71B Maiden Flight from Palmdale, Pilot B. Gilliland & Bill Weaver |
| 1966 | 6 Jan | 1st SR-71 Delivered to USAF |
| 1966 | 7 Jan | SR-71B Arrives at Beale AFB |
| 1966 | 25 Jan | 1st SR-71A Lost in Accident |
| 1966 | 25 Jun | 9th Strategic Recon Wing Formed at Beale AFB |
| 1966 | 3 Jul | 1st Launch attempt D-21 from M-12 |
| 1966 | 30 Jul | Tagboard Program Ends |
| 1967 | 31 May | 1st Operational A-12 Sortie |
| 1968 | 11 Jan | SR-71B Lost, Beale AFB |
| 1968 | 26 Jan | 1st Overflight of N Korea by an A-12 |
| 1968 | 21 Mar | 1st SR-71 Operational Sortie over SE Asia |
| 1968 | 26 Jul | 1st Confirmed firings of 2 SA-2s at an SR-71 |
| 1969 | 14 Mar | 1st Flight of SR-71C |
| 1969 | 11 Dec | YF-12 NASA/USAF Test Program begins |
| 1971 | 26 Apr | SR-71A Completes 15,000 mi Non-stop Around US, Time 10 hrs 30 min |
| 1974 | 1 Sep | New York to London record 1 hrs 56 min |
| 1974 | 13 Sep | London to Los Angeles record 3 hrs 47 min |
| 1976 | 27 Jul | Speed Record 2,092 mph |
| 1976 | 28 Jul | Speed Record 2,193 mph |
| 1976 | 28 Jul | Alt Record 85,068 ft |
| 1978 | 16 Nov | 1st Overflight of Cuba |
| 1984 | 7 Nov | 1st SR-71 Sortie ov Nicaragua |
| 1986 | 13 Apr | SR-71s Conduct Post Strike Recon over Libya |
| 1987 | 22 Jul | 1st Operational Mission into Gulf |
| 1989 | 1 Oct | USAF Operations Suspended while awaiting Budget Outcome |
| 1989 | 22 Nov | All USAF Operations Terminated |
| 1990 | 26 Jan | SR-71 is Decommissioned at Beale AFB |
| 1990 | 16 Mar | West-East Coast 1 hr 7 min, Kansas City-Washington DC 29 min 57 sec, St Louis-Cincinnati 8 min 32 sec |
| 1995 | Congress Reactivates 2 SR-71s | |
| 1996 | SR-71s Grounded for lack of Funds | |
| 1997 | Oct | Pres. Clinton uses Line Item Veto to Stop SR-71 Funding |
| 1997 | Jun | Line Item Veto Declared Unconstitutional, SR-71 in Limbo |
| 1998 | 30 Oct | All USAF SR-71 Operations Suspended |
| 1999 | 6 Jul | NASA Uses 2 SR-71s at Dryden for Tests |
| 1999 | 15 Oct | NASA Ceases SR-71 Tests |
