In 1958 at the dawn of the commercial jet age, the federal regulatory agency - the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - was created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In its earliest days, about 53 million passengers boarded airplanes, compared to the 776 million in 2008. In 1958, FAA air traffic controllers handled about 26.6 million takeoffs and landings, a figure that has grown to around 44.1 million per year. The FAA's responsibility was defined as the safety, security, and efficiency of the national Air space System, according to an executive order in 2000 by President Bill Clinton. Read the whole story.