50

The number of years it’s been since the Boeing 747 was launched.

The first one was rolled out in Seattle on September 30 1968, and took its first flight in February 1969, entering service with Pan American World Airways in January 1970.

Its iconic status mainly comes down to its revolutionary design. It was the first plane to have almost-vertical sidewalls and a high ceiling, giving passengers a sense of spaciousness. Instead of a long, thin tube, the cabin was split up into “rooms”, with galleys and lavatories installed as dividers.

CNN reports that there are close to 500 of the planes still flying, although many airlines are now replacing them with larger, more advanced, and more efficient twin-engine planes.