World War I: Ace Guynemer Born

December 24, 1894- French ace Georges Guynemer (right) is born at Compiègne. A slight, sickly child, Georges Guynemer was initially rejected for military service by the French Army, but ultimately was able to find a position as a mechanic with the air service. After some time, he was accepted into flight training and joined Escadrille MS.3 in mid-1915. Quickly proving himself as a top pilot, Guynemer scored his first kill on July 19, 1915. He would go on to down 52 more enemy aircraft and was France's #2 scorer for the war. Guynemer went missing in action on September 11, 1917, during a patrol near Poelkapelle, Belgium.

Photograph Source: Public Domain