William J. Knight
| William J. Knight | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| USAF Astronaut | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
November 18, 1929 Noblesville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | May 7, 2004 (aged 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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Other names
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William John Knight |
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Other occupation
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Test pilot |
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Butler University Purdue University Air Force Institute of Technology, B.S. 1958 |
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| Rank | Colonel, USAF |
| Selection | 1960 Dyna-Soar Group 1 |
| Missions | X-15 Flight 190 |
| Awards |  |
William John "Pete" Knight (November 18, 1929 – May 7, 2004), (Col, USAF), was an American aeronautical engineer, politician, Vietnam War combat pilot, test pilot, and astronaut in the X-20 Dyna-Soar and North American X-15 programs. Knight holds the world's speed record for flight in a winged, powered aircraft.
As a politician, he is noted as the author of California Proposition 22, which forbade the state from performing or recognizing same-sex marriage.
Knight was born November 18, 1929 in Noblesville, Indiana, to parents William T. Knight (1906–1968) and Mary Emma Knight (1909–1959). Following high school, Knight attended Butler University and Purdue University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology in 1958.
Knight was married to Helena Stone and they had three sons, Steve, Peter, and David. Helena preceded Knight in death. Knight remarried and at his death in 2004 he was survived by his widow Gail, a brother, three sons, four stepchildren and 15 grandchildren.
Knight joined the United States Air Force in 1951. While only a Second Lieutenant, he flew an F-89 at the National Air Show in 1954 and won the Allison Jet Trophy.
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