Given the ubiquitous nature of air travel today, it’s hard to believe that in the 1920s the public was terrified of flying. (Americans preferred the train.)

But everything changed in 1930, when a young registered nurse from Iowa suggested hiring onboard nurses to reassure the public that flying was safe.

The head of Boeing Air Transport enthusiastically agreed, and Ellen Church became the world’s first flight attendant.

The experiment was a tremendous success. Air travel gained popularity, and before long nearly every airline had nurses onboard.

Still, the 1930s requirements for female flight attendants were restrictive at best. In addition to being registered nurses, women had to be unmarried, younger than 25 years old, weigh less than 115 pounds and stand less than five feet four inches tall. The first group of attendants earned $125 a month.

Now after 100 years AirAsia and Philippines Airlines have new uniform designed specifically to protect flight attendants and passengers during the CoronaVirus pandemic.