Wernher Von Braun | Timeline

Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun (March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977) was a German, later American, aerospace engineer and space architect credited with inventing the V-2 rocket for Nazi Germany and the Saturn V for the United States. He was one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany, where he was a member of the Nazi Party and the SS. Following World War II, he was moved to the United States, along with about 1,500 other scientists, technicians, and engineers, as part of Operation Paperclip, where he developed the rockets that launched the United States' first space satellite Explorer 1, and the Apollo program manned lunar landings. (Intro from Wikipedia)

March 23, 1912 - Wirsitz, Germany (Wyrzysk, today Poland) - Wernher Von Braun is born
January(?) 1(?), 1915 - Berlin - Von Braun family moves to Berlin
January(?) 1(?), 1925 - Ettersburg Castle, Weimar - Attends a Boarding School
January(?) 1(?), 1928 - Spiekeroog Island - His parents move him to the Hermann-Lietz-Internat
January(?), 1(?), 1930 - Berlin - Attends the Technische Hochschule Berlin. Joins the "Spaceflight Society"
April(?) 1(?), 1932 - Berlin - Graduates from the Technische Hochschule Berlin, with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering
November 1, 1932 - Berlin - Signs a contract with the Reichwehr to conduct research leading to development of rockets as weapons =(START)
November 1, 1933 - Berlin Halensee - Joins the SS horseback riding school of the Reitersturm I as an SS-Anwärter
April 16, 1934 - Berlin(?) - Von Braun presents his thesis - Construction, theoretical, and experiemental solution to the problem of the liquid propellant rocket
July 27, 1934 - Berlin - Graduates with a D.Phil degree in physics at the Friedrich-Wilhelm University of Berlin
December 19, 1934 - Borkum Island, North Sea - Launch of the first A2 rockets, "Max" and "Moritz"
December 25, 1935 - Wirsitz (Wyrzysk) Family state in Silesia - Von Braun mentions the search for a rocket base, why not island of Usedom?
January(?) 1(?), 1936 - Kummersdorf - (S of Berlin) - Working with his team at Kummersdorf
November 12, 1937 - ? - Applies for membership in the Nazi party
March 23, 1939 - Kummersdorf - Hitler agrees to be briefed by Von Braun on the process of the army's advanced ballistic missile programme. Hitler pays a visit to Kummersdorf for a look at rocketry

Von Braun at Peenemünde

October(?) 1(?), 1939 - Peenemünde - In the fall of 1939, all but Thiel had moved from Kummersdorf to Peenemünde
April(?) 1(?), 1940 - Greifswald - Joins the SS and is given a rank in the Allgemeine SS
May 1, 1940 - Berlin(?) - Promoted to SS-Untersturmführer
November 9, 1941 - Berlin(?) - Promoted to SS-Obersturmführer
December 21, 1941 - Peenemünde - Von Braun returns to Peenemünde in a Fieseler Storch, after staying with his family in Berlin

Von Braun with Wehrmacht officers

March 18, 1942 - Peenemünde - Albert Speer witnesses a failed A-4 test launch
June 13, 1942 - Peenemünde - Albert Speer, Erhard Milch, Fromm, Leeb and Witzell witness an A-4 rocket test launch
October 3, 1942 - Peenemünde - Successful launch of the A-4 rocket
November 9, 1942 - Peenemünde(?) - Promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer
June 28, 1943 - Peenemünde(?) - Promoted to SS-Sturmbannführer
July 7, 1943 - Wolfsschanze, Rastenburg - Von Braun presents of a 30mm color movie showing a A-4 taking off. Hitler is so enthusiastic that makes Von Braun a professor
August 17, 1943 - Peenemünde - in the nights of 17 and 18, the RAF bombs the complex, delaying the program and killing engine designer Walter Thiel and chief Engineer Walther
March 14, 1944 - Stettin - Von Braun is detained for 2 weeks in a Gestapo Cell
May 13, 1944 - Albert Speer convinces Hitler to reinstate Von Braun so that the V-2 program could continue
May 26, 1944 - Peenemünde - Albert Speer, Karl Dönitz and Erhard Milch attend the launch of two A-4 rockets and two V-1 flying bombs
September 8, 1944 - First V-2 is launched against London from mobile Battery of 485 (Motorized) Artillery Battalion in Wassenaer, Northeast of The Hague, Netherlands
October 30, 1944 - Peenemünde - Hermann Göring attends two V-2 launches
January 1, 1945 - Peenemünde - Von Braun calls a meeting with other top officials. The rumor is that russians are close
March 15, 1945 - Bleicherode - Naumburg - Von Braun travels in a Hanomag truck towards Berlin - driver falls asleep - Broken arm

April 11(?), 1945 - Oberammergau - Final meeting with Hans Kammler
May 1, 1945 - Oberjoch, near Austria - The scientists move to a resort hotel Haus Ingeborg, waiting for the americans
May 2, 1945 - Austria - Von Braun and brother surrender to the americans
May 5, 1945 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen - After being interrogated at Reutte, Von Braun is taken to Garmisch-Partenkirchen

May 7, 1945 - Nordhausen - At the V-2 rocket central, along with the US Ninth Army
June 19, 1945 - Munich - Von Braun is taken from Garmisch to Munich
June 20, 1945 - Witzenhausen - Von Braun is flown to Nordhausen and evacuated 40 miles inside the American Zone. The US Secretary of State approves the transfer of Von Braun and his specialists to America. 1,000 german V-2 personnel and their families were selected and gathered up, then placed on a train to Witzenhausen
July 22, 1945 - Cuxhaven - Von Braun and Dornberger are taken to Cuxhaven
September 12, 1945 - Frankfurt - Von Braun climbs aboard a covered military truck and heads toward Paris with a jeep escort
September 19(?), 1945 - Paris - Arrival in Paris - Von Braun is flown to Boston, USA
September 20, 1945 - Fort Strong, Boston Harbour's long island - Von Braun arrives to the military site, processing point of "Project Paperclip"
September 28(?), 1945 - Fort Bliss, N of El Paso - Arrives in Fort Bliss, Texas
October 1, 1945 - The transfer of Von Braun and his specialists to America is made public
March 1, 1947 - Landshut, Germany - Von Braun obtains permition to marry Maria Luise von Quistorp
March 26, 1947 - New York City - Returns to New York
December 9, 1948 - Fort Bliss - Iris Careen, Von Braun's first daughter is born
April 1(?), 1950 - Huntsville, Alabama - Transfered to Huntsville, Alabama
May 14, 1950 - Huntsville - The Huntsville Times headlines "Dr.Von Braun says rocket flights possible to Moon"
June 25, 1950 - Huntsville - With the start of the Korean War, Von Braun and his team transfer to Alabama
April 15, 1955 - Huntsville(?) - Von Braun becomes a naturalized citizen of the United States =(changeflag)
September 17, 1958 - Cape Canaveral, Florida - Witnesses the launch of the PGM-11 Redtone, first US ballistic missile
January 8, 1963 - Receives an honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Berlin
July 16, 1969 - Cape Canaveral, Florida - Von Braun is present at the launch of the Saturn V and Apollo 11
March 1, 1970 - Washington D.C. - Von Braun and family relocate to Washington
May 26, 1972 - Washington D.C.(?) - Von Braun retires from NASA
July 1, 1972 - Germantown, Maryland - Von Braun becomes vice-president for Engineering and development at the Fairchild Industries
December 31, 1976 - Germantown - His deteriorating health forces him to retire from Fairchild
June 16, 1977 - Alexandria, Virginia - Wernher Von Braun dies of pancreatic cancer, aged 65 =(END)