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An old maritime shipboard tradition was to celebrate the crewmember and passenger’s first passing over the equator and the international dateline. Like many maritime traditions, it was adopted by the aviation industry. On early transpacific flights, certificates were given out to passengers commemorating a crossing of the international date line. We have several in our collection and here is one of the earliest examples: Dorothy Thorpe McLean crossed the Pacific Ocean on the China Clipper on January 19th and 20th, 1939. The captain of her flight, Kenneth Beer, signed her certificate.
This image was posted on December 29, 2015.