-13 July 1925: Western Air Express, the airline that would merge with Transcontinental Air Transport to form the "TWA" brand, is incorporated.

-07 July 1929: Transcontinental Air Transport inaugurates coast-to-coast air and rail service on route laid out by Col. Charles Lindbergh from New York to Los Angeles (Glendale) via Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo; Wichita, Kan.; Waynoka, Okla.; Clovis and Albuquerque, N.M.; and Winslow and Kingman, Ariz.

-01 Oct 1930: "TWA" is born when Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express merge to form Transcontinental and Western Air Inc.

-25 Oct 1930: TWA begins offering coast-to-coast all-air service, a trip that takes 36 hours and includes an overnight stop in Kansas City.

-1931: TWA moves headquarters from New York to Kansas City.

-06 Aug 1931: A shipment of livestock from St. Louis to Newark, N.J., on TWA is first air cargo service in the U.S.

-December 1933: The first and only DC-1, the first of the legendary line of Douglas Aircraft planes, is delivered to TWA.

-1939: Movie mogul Howard Hughes acquires control of TWA.

-05 Feb 1946: TWA begins trans-Atlantic service with flight ending in Paris. Later that year, TWA adds service to Rome, Athens, Cairo, Lisbon and Madrid.

-1950: TWA officially become Trans World Airlines.

-1954: TWA starts relocating executive offices to New York, while training, maintenance and engineering offices remain in Kansas City.

-03 Jan 1957: TWA is the first airline to offer passengers freshly-brewed coffee in flight.

-19 July 1961: TWA shows its first in-flight movie, "By Love Possessed," starring Lana Turner.

-03 May 1965: Hughes sells his position in TWA, more than 6 million shares worth $546.5 million.

-06 April 1967: TWA becomes the first U.S. airline to go all-jet.

-25 Feb 1970: TWA becomes first airline to fly the Boeing 747 on a domestic route, with service between Los Angeles and New York.

-01 Jan 1979: Trans World Corp. is formed, with subsidiaries including Trans World Airlines, Canteen Corp., Hilton International, Spartan Food Service and Century 21 Real Estate.

-November 1983: Trans World Airlines becomes separate public company.

-14 June 1985: Shiite gunmen seize a TWA airliner and force it to Beirut, Lebanon. A U.S. Navy diver was killed and 39 Americans held hostage for 17 days.

-26 Sep 1985: Carl Icahn acquires control of TWA.

-26 Oct 1986: TWA acquires Ozark Airlines and merges Ozark into TWA's operations.

-07 Sept 1988: Carl Icahn takes the company private, at a cost of $610.3 million. Icahn receives $469 million. The deal adds $539.7 million to TWA's debt.

-1989: Icahn moves TWA headquarters to Mt. Kisco, N.Y.

-01 Jul 1991: Icahn sells TWA routes from New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago to London to American Airlines.

-31 Jan 1992: TWA files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

-24 Aug 1992: TWA reaches agreement with its three major unions for concessions in exchange for a 45 percent stake in the airline.

-08 Jan 1993: Icahn resigns as chairman.

-03 Nov 1993: TWA completes its first Chapter 11
reorganization.

-February 1994: TWA relocates its corporate headquarters to St. Louis.

-30 Jun 1995: TWA again files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, emerging two months later.

-17 Jul 1996: TWA Flight 800 from New York to Paris crashes shortly after takeoff, killing all 230 passengers aboard.

-20 Feb 1998: TWA retires the last of its Boeing 747.

-09 Dec 1998: TWA announces the largest aircraft order in company history, 125 aircraft with options for 125 more.

-May 25, 1999: TWA pilot William F. Compton becomes chief executive.

-July 2000: TWA celebrates 75th Anniversary.

-Jan. 10, 2001: TWA files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a third time and agrees to sell most of its assets to American Airlines. The sale, which is subject to approval by the bankruptcy court, brings an end to the financially troubled TWA.

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