US test pilot Chuck Yeager, the first person to break the sound barrier, has died aged 97, his wife says.
In a tweet, Victoria Yeager wrote: "It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET.", external
Yeager went into the history books after his flight in the Bell X-1 experimental rocket plane in 1947.
He later broke several other speed and altitude records, helping to pave the way for the US space programme.
"An incredible life well lived, America's greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever," his wife wrote on Monday.
She provided no further details.