First woman in Congress to break the sound barrier

In 1957, Margaret Chase Smith, a longtime member of the Senate Armed Services Committee with strong interests in national defense and aviation, participated in a military training flight during which the aircraft reached speeds of nearly 1,000 miles per hour, breaking the sound barrier (Mach 1). This made her the first woman in Congress to break the sound barrier, an extraordinary personal achievement for a sitting senator in her late fifties.

The exact calendar day of the flight is not specified in available historical records, though the year is well documented. The flight reflected Smith's hands-on approach to her defense oversight responsibilities; she frequently sought direct, personal familiarity with military technology and operations rather than relying solely on briefings, a practice that enhanced her credibility on the Armed Services Committee.

This achievement, while less politically consequential than her legislative milestones, became one of the most colorful and frequently cited anecdotes in accounts of her career, symbolizing her fearless, unconventional approach to public service. It underscored her lifelong association with military and defense matters, complementing her earlier role in creating the WAVES program during World War II. The episode is often invoked as evidence of Smith's determination to break barriers, literal and figurative, throughout her long career in Washington.