1906 – The first woman to break the speed of sound in an airplane Jacqueline Cochran was born in Muscogee near Pensacola on this date. Cochran began flying airplanes in the early 1930s after moving to New York and was soon competing in a number of speed races. During WWII she became the director of the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) program which trained hundreds of female pilots. After the war, Cochran began flying jet aircraft and continued to break records and push the boundaries of aviation. She holds more speed and distance records than any other pilot male or female.