Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19660218: The National Committee for Clear Air Turbulence was established to determine operational needs for the detection and prediction of this hazard, known as CAT. Formed at the instigation of the Defense Department, the committee was composed of representatives from the National Science Foundation and seven Federal agencies, including FAA. In a December 1966 report, the committee called for a coordinated national effort to understand and remedy the CAT problem. The report’s recommendations included a national data collection project to gather information needed to achieve CAT detection and forecasting. On March 29, 1967, the CAT hazard was illustrated by the death of an unbelted passenger when a United Airlines jet reportedly plunged 8,000 feet after encountering turbulence. Subsequent FAA actions regarding CAT included participation in joint research on forecasting methods.
19700218: FAA’s first IBM 9020 computer and its associated software program became operational at the Los Angeles ARTCC