June 1 1920
Maj. Albert Bond Lambert and other members of the Missouri Aeronautical Society leased a 160 acre cornfield 11 miles northwest of downtown St. Louis to develop the property into an airfield.
October 1923
The International Air Races, the world’s first aviation meet, were held. The field is officially dedicated as Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field.
February 1925
Maj. Albert Bond Lambert bought the 170 acre airfield and became the sole proprietor of Lambert Field. Later that year, Robertson Aircraft Corporation was awarded the airmail route between St. Louis and Chicago. Robertson hired Charles Lindbergh as their chief airmail pilot.
May 1927
Charles Lindbergh flies solo from New York to Paris in the plane named the “Spirit of St. Louis” in honor of Maj. Albert Bond and other financial backers in St. Louis.
February 1928
The City of St. Louis leased Lambert Field from Maj. Lambert for $1.
August 1928
The city of St. Louis passed a $2 million bond issue to purchase Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field making it one of the first city-owned airports in the country.
July 1930
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd officially dedicated the airfield as Lambert-St. Louis Municipal Airport.
August 1931
Trans World Airlines was the first airline to inaugurate Cargo Service with a shipment of livestock from St. Louis to Newark.
1933
Lambert’s first Terminal Building was completed.
August 1942
St. Louis voters passed a $4.5 million bond issue to expand the airport by 867 acres and build a new terminal.
September 1950
Ozark Airlines begins operations with its first flight from St. Louis to Chicago.
1953
Construction on the new terminal began. It was designed by Minoru Yamakasi at a cost of $7.2 million.
March 1956
The present Main Terminal building was officially dedicated. It consisted of three sets of intersecting barrel vaults, built in thin-shell concrete, glass facades and no interior columns. Both John F. Kenney airport in New York and Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris were built with similar dome esigns.
July 1959
TWA inaugurates all jet service with daily flights between St. Louis and New York on a Boeing 707. The day before, 20,000 aviation enthusiasts gathered at Lambert Field to see the plane.
1964
TWA inaugurates single plane service to Europe.
1968
Voters passed a $200 million airport revenue bond for further expansion which included adding a fourth dome to the Main Terminal.
1971
Airport’s name officially changed to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
June 1972
TWA inaugurates Lockheed 1011 service. The first flight from St. Louis to Los Angeles is flown on autopilot from takeoff to landing.
1982
TWA named Lambert-St. Louis International Airport as its principal domestic hub.
December 1982
The official opening of Concourse D. Ozark Airlines was the prime tenant in the new concourse.
March 1985
Southwest Airlines began service at Lambert.
April 1985
Lambert becomes international gateway to Europe when TWA began flights to Paris, London, and Frankfurt.
October 1986
TWA acquires and merges Ozark Airlines into its operations.
February 1994
TWA relocates its corporate headquarters from New York to St. Louis.
March 1998
The official opening of Lambert’s East Terminal which adds 220,000 square feet of new terminal space.