The YB-52 Stratofortress bomber prototype makes its maiden flight from a Boeing facility in Seattle. Company pilot A.M. “Tex” Johnston is at the controls. Seventy-three years later, the aircraft is still flying and projected to stay in service for more than a century.
Congress Passes $839 Billion Budget for Defense
Feb. 3, 2026
Congress officially passed the fiscal 2026 defense spending bill Feb. 3 after a House of Representatives vote, approving $839 billion in Pentagon funding and sending the package to President Donald Trump for his signature.


