April 18, 1915: Aerial Warfare Is About to Make a Quantum Leap | This Day In Tech | Wired.com: 1915: Roland Garros is forced down behind German lines and taken prisoner. His plane is recovered intact by the Germans, which results in a technological leap forward for aerial warfare.
Garros, a one-time aspiring concert pianist who gained fame as an aviator prior to World War I when he flew nonstop across the Mediterranean Sea, is considered to be the first true fighter pilot in history.