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Heathrow Airport Celebrates Its 70th Birthday

The first commercial flight to take off from Heathrow Airport took to the air on 31 May 1946.

In its 70 years of operation the airport has grown from a small cluster of tents to a major international travel hub.

In its first year the airport saw 63,000 passengers pass through - now it carries 67 million people to destinations in 80 countries.

A photography booked published by The History Press - Heathrow In Pictures - traces the airport’s from its very first days in operation to the current day.

The early pictures show passengers waiting in the tents that served as terminals, and crowds of plane spotters checking out London’s early commercial flights.

Hordes of famous faces have passed through Heathrow over the years, with Hollywood superstars, sporting legends and royalty taking off from its runways.

Here we take a look at the history of Heathrow: