A model of planned supersonic airliner Concorde went on show at Farnborough in 1962
Later that year, French Ambassador Geoffroy de Courcel (left) & the British Minister of Aviation, Julian Amery, signed the Anglo-French supersonic airliner agreement - and Concorde was born.
The airliner was constructed in both France & Britain. Here, a wooden mock-up of Concorde can be seen at the factory in Filton, Bristol.
In March of that year, a section of Fuselage was wheeled out of the hangar at Filton for testing.
Concorde's official roll-out ceremony in Toulouse in 1967 was attended by Britain's Minister of Technology Tony Benn & the French Minister of Transport, Jean Chamant.
Employees of BOAC crowded around to get a close look at the Prototype in 1968.
On 2 march 1969, Andre Turcat piloted the first flight of the French prototype Concorde 001 at Toulouse-Blagnac.
The first British Concorde, 002, took to the air on 9 April 1969, a month after its French counterpart.
In 1972, aircraft engineer & industrialist Sir George Edwards presented BOAC chairman Keith Granville with a silver model of a Concorde airliner after BOAC signed a contract to buy five of the aircraft.
Thirty-five passengers waved goodbye before departing from Heathrow Ariport on Concorde's first public flight in 1975.
Following the lifting of a ban on Concorde flights to New york, Capt Brian Walpole smiles from the cockpit on 22 NOV 1977, having just flown in from london.
Concorde's speed and expense quickly linked it in the public imagination to national leaders, top executives, rock & Film stars - and royalty. Pictured is the Queen on board in 1977.
Even the Pope traveled on Concorde. Here John Paul II waves to well-wishers as he disembarks at Lusaka airport in 1989.
In 1995, Concorde set a new round-the-world speed record. The supersonic jet made the trip in 31hrs 27 mins and 49 secs, passing through three sunrises.
The beginning of the end for Concorde came at Paris Charles de Gaulle airpot on 25 July 2000. The crash killed 113 people.
Following the crash, BA & Air France made a joint announcement on the Jet's retirement. Many of the planes ended up in museums. This Air France Concorde took a novel route to get to its new home in southern Germany.
For those who saw it, Concorde will always be remembered for its unique shape & the sound of its Rolls-Royce engines.
Q&A: Concorde crash trial
The trial concerning the only crash ever to involve a Concorde supersonic airliner is taking place in Pontoise, near Paris. Continental, the US airline, and five individuals face charges of manslaughter after 113 people died when an Air France Concorde crashed in July 2000.
What happened?
Concorde flight 4590 crashed in the town of Gonesse shortly after taking off in flames from Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris on 25 July 2000.
The stricken Air France plane hit a hotel, killing all 109 people on board as well as four people on the ground.
Most of the passengers were German tourists heading to New York to join a luxury cruise to the Caribbean. Nine French crew members also died.
What caused the crash?
The official accident report into the crash said a piece of metal fell off a plane run by US airline Continental, which had taken off from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport just before the doomed Concorde was to take off.
The supersonic airliner hit the 43cm (17in) titanium strip and one of the plane's tyres burst, causing rubber to fly up and rupture a fuel tank, the report said.
Leaking kerosene then ignited, causing the fire.
The report was published in December 2004.
Who was charged?
In 2008 a French public prosecutor asked judges to bring manslaughter charges against Houston-based Continental Airlines, which denies responsibility.
Five individuals are also being prosecuted:
- John Taylor, the Continental mechanic who allegedly fitted the metal strip to the DC-10
- Stanley Ford, a Continental maintenance official
- Jacques Herubel, Concorde's former chief engineer
- Henri Perrier, a former head of the Concorde division at Aerospatiale, now part of the aerospace company EADS
- Claude Frantzen, a former member of France's civil aviation watchdog
They deny the charges.
Only some of the victims' families will be represented at the hearings, as many took compensation from Air France after the crash in return for not taking legal action.
What is the case for the defence?
Lawyers for Continental say they can prove the Concorde was not airworthy, and that it caught fire before it struck the titanium strip.
Olivier Metzner, a lawyer for Continental, said: "We are going to fight it and establish that the Concorde caught fire eight seconds before this scrap of metal met with the Concorde - so about 700m (2,300ft) before."
This is denied by Air France, which is not facing charges.
The trial is expected to last four months.
Successful prosecution would result in a maximum fine of 375,000 euros (£330,000) for Continental, and prison sentences of up to five years as well as fines of up to 75,000 euros for the individuals charged.
Why has the case taken so long to come to trial?
The official report into the crash was published in December 2004, and French authorities began a criminal investigation of Continental in March 2005.
Following that investigation Bernard Farret, a deputy prosecutor in Pontoise, outside Paris, asked judges to bring manslaughter charges against the defendants in March 2008.
What happened to Concorde after the crash?
Some argue Concorde's reputation never fully recovered after the disaster - the only crash ever to involve one of the supersonic airliners.
Air France and British Airways retired their Concorde fleets in October 2003, ending three decades of supersonic travel, when the final commercial flights from New York landed at Heathrow.
What will the trial achieve?
Some critics have suggested holding a trial a decade after the event serves no useful purpose.
After the crash, most of the victims' families agreed to take no legal action in return for undisclosed levels of compensation from Air France, EADS, Continental and the tyre-maker, Goodyear.
Concorde has since been retired, so the case is more about the reputation of the two companies involved - Continental and Air France.
The US-based Flight Safety Foundation says such cases are harmful as they discourage industry officials from sharing important safety information which could be used in future court cases.
Where can I find more about this on the web?
You can check the BBC News story for the latest developments in the trial, or read a transcript of the Concorde crew's last words.
You can also read the official report into the crash.
End of an era for Concorde
 Concorde had a grandstand finish at Heathrow |
The last transatlantic flight carried 100 celebrities from New York and touched down at 1605 BST.
On disembarking, actress Joan Collins said there were "cheers and tears" among the passengers when the plane landed.
Minutes before the transatlantic trip touched down, competition winners landed on a flight from Edinburgh and a third completed its trip for invited guests around the Bay of Biscay.
British Airways decided to retire the famous aircraft after 27 years because it was no longer profitable.
Airport operator BAA built a 1,000-seat grandstand for spectators and many arrived at Heathrow hours before Concorde was due to arrive.
 | CONCORDE'S LAST DAY OF FLIGHTS Departure from New York 0735 (1235 BST) Planes from New York, Edinburgh and one that has completed a loop over the Atlantic arrive in Heathrow 1600 BST Ceremony with British Airways staff  |
There was also an emotional goodbye on the other side of the Atlantic.
Water cannon sprayed the Concorde with jets of red, white and blue water to evoke the colours of the British, American and French flags in a symbolic farewell on the runway at John F Kennedy airport.
Before entering the Concorde cockpit for the last time, Captain Mike Bannister said he was "proud and privileged" to fly the plane back from New York.
"What we have tried to do is to make the retirement of Concorde a celebration - something that both the public and the airline can look back at with pride.
| FINAL IMAGES  |
Earlier, the first of the planes departed from Heathrow at 1035 BST for a flight to Edinburgh, where it landed at noon before leaving again for its final journey.
Actress Joan Collins, who has flown Concorde about 10 times and is on board the flight from New York, said the end of the era was "tragic".
"The first time I ever flew Concorde was a bit of a white knuckle ride. I am more used to it now, it's so wonderful to make the journey in three and a half hours," she said as she boarded the plane.
'Speed freak'
British broadcaster and frequent flyer Sir David Frost said he had lost count of the number of times he had been on Concorde - "somewhere between 300 and 500, I think."
| PASSENGER LIST  The passenger list for Concorde's final flight from New York includes: Model Jodie Kidd (pictured with broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson before boarding) Broadcaster Sir David Frost Actress Joan Collins Politician Tony Benn Former US model Christie Brinkley Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone Stock exchange chairman Chris Gibson-Smith British Airways chairman Lord Marshall |
Model Jodie Kidd, checking into the flight, said: "I always really love the rush of takeoff. I am just a speed freak."
British Airways chief executive officer Rod Eddington said there was a "mixture of sadness and celebration" about the retirement.
"It is a wonderful plane, an icon, but its time has come. It's an old plane - it doesn't look it - but it was designed in the 50s and built in the 60s," he told BBC One's Breakfast.
In 1956, Britain and France began working separately on an aircraft that would fly at twice the speed of sound.
BA and Air France made a joint announcement on the retirement in April and the French Concorde's final flight was in May.
Concorde never recovered after a horrific crash near Paris Charles de Gaulle airport three years ago, in which 113 people died.
