TECH FOCUS: AErOSPACE THE HISTORY OF AEROSPACE AT SAE INTERNATIONAL At what point does the past become " history " ? Yesterday? Y2K? The year before your grandparents met? It's likely a matter of context and perspective, but one thing is certain: SAE has been around for all of those touchstones and more. As an organization, SAE pre-dates television (1927), insulin (1921), and the first transcontinental phone call (1915). The first SAE standard was published in 1912, the year cosmic rays were discovered- and a year before Harry Brearley created what many consider the first stainless steel. SAE was formed in 1905. Since then, it has changed the world. For this special issue of Update, we decided to look into the history of SAE through the lens of aerospace, an integral part of the society's legacy for over a century. UPDATE February 2024 19