Harriet Quimby Day
August 2
About Harriet Quimby Day
Harriet Quimby Day falls on 2 August each year, marking the anniversary of the day in 1911 when Harriet Quimby became the first American woman to earn a pilot’s licence. The occasion honours a journalist turned aviator whose daring flights helped open the skies to women at the very dawn of powered flight.
The Story Behind Harriet Quimby Day
Harriet Quimby was born in 1875 and built her early career not in the cockpit but at the typewriter. By the early 1900s she was living in New York and working as a drama critic and journalist for Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly, where she also edited the women’s page. Her path changed in October 1910, when she attended the Belmont Park air meet on Long Island and was captivated by the spectacle of flight. Determined to learn, she enrolled at the Moisant Aviation School at Mineola, training on a French Bleriot monoplane.
On 2 August 1911, after 33 lessons and two test flights, Quimby passed her examination and was awarded Aero Club of America licence number 37, issued under the authority of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. The achievement made her the first woman in the United States to hold a pilot’s licence, and only the second licensed female pilot in the world after France’s Baroness Raymonde de Laroche. It came barely eight years after the Wright brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, when aviation itself was still an audacious novelty.
Quimby quickly turned her skill into a public career, earning fees for exhibition flights, including a celebrated night flight over Staten Island before a crowd of nearly 20,000. Her most famous feat came on 16 April 1912, when she took off from Dover, England, and crossed the English Channel to land near Calais, becoming the first woman to pilot an aircraft across the Channel. Tragically, her flying career was brief: she died in an accident at the Boston aviation meet on 1 July 1912, thrown from her aircraft over Dorchester Bay. Harriet Quimby Day keeps her pioneering legacy in view.
When and Where is Harriet Quimby Day Celebrated?
Harriet Quimby Day is observed annually on 2 August, the anniversary of the date she earned her licence in 1911. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday. The date is fixed and does not change from year to year. The day is recognised chiefly in the United States, particularly among aviation enthusiasts, historians, and organisations dedicated to celebrating women in flight, though her achievements are admired internationally.
Traditions and Customs
As a commemorative day rooted in aviation heritage, the customs centre on remembrance and inspiration.
- Aviation museum features – Institutions that chronicle early flight often spotlight Quimby’s story and the Bleriot monoplane she favoured.
- Women in aviation tributes – Groups that support female pilots and aerospace professionals use the day to honour a founding figure of their movement.
- Educational talks – Schools and clubs share Quimby’s biography to encourage interest in flight and in trailblazing women.
- Historical retellings – Her Channel crossing and her trademark purple satin flying suit feature in articles and exhibitions marking the day.
- Social media remembrance – Aviation accounts post archival photographs and facts to introduce new audiences to her story.
Ways to Celebrate Harriet Quimby Day
There are many ways to mark the day, whether your interest is in aviation, history, or pioneering women.
- Read her biography – Learn how a working journalist taught herself to fly and reshaped expectations of what women could do.
- Visit an aviation museum – Seek out exhibits on early flight and the fragile monoplanes of the 1910s.
- Support women in aviation – Donate to or share the work of organisations that mentor female pilots and engineers.
- Watch a documentary – Several films and series on early aviators feature Quimby and her contemporaries.
- Encourage a young flyer – Introduce a child to the science of flight or the story of the pioneers who made it possible.
- Share her story – Post a fact about Quimby to help her name reach a wider audience.
Facts and Figures
- Quimby earned Aero Club of America licence number 37 on 2 August 1911.
- She was the first American woman and the world’s second licensed female pilot.
- She completed 33 flying lessons and two test flights before passing her examination.
- On 16 April 1912 she became the first woman to fly an aircraft across the English Channel, from Dover to near Calais.
- She was known for flying in a distinctive purple satin suit and died in a flying accident on 1 July 1912 at the age of 37.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Harriet Quimby Day?
Harriet Quimby Day is an annual observance on 2 August honouring the first American woman to earn a pilot’s licence, who did so on that date in 1911.
When is Harriet Quimby Day in 2026?
Harriet Quimby Day falls on Sunday, 2 August 2026. The date is fixed and is marked on the same day every year.
What was Harriet Quimby famous for?
Besides becoming the first licensed American woman pilot, she was the first woman to fly an aircraft across the English Channel, achieving the feat on 16 April 1912.
Spread the Word
Share Harriet Quimby Day with fellow history and aviation enthusiasts using #HarrietQuimbyDay and #HarrietQuimbyDay2026. Whether you mark the occasion with a museum visit or a message of support for women in flight, every bit of awareness helps keep her remarkable story aloft. If you enjoy celebrating aviation pioneers, you might also like National Amelia Earhart Day.
Related Awareness Days
- National Amelia Earhart Day – Honours another barrier-breaking American aviator who followed in Quimby’s wake.
- Wright Brothers Day – Celebrates the inventors whose 1903 flight made Quimby’s career possible.
- Pan American Aviation Day – Marks the broader history and progress of powered flight.
Links
- Read about Harriet Quimby on the World Air Sports Federation website
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
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