In three months between 1910 and 1911, the plane you see here became the first ever to take off from and land on runways aboard the USS Birmingham and USS Pennsylvania carriers, respectively. Recently, photos from both experiments were uncovered.
According to Izismile, Eugene Ely was the pilot who pulled off this risky feat. And considering airplanes weren't even 10 years old at the time, it makes it all the more impressive. (Hopefully the man was paid well for his services.)
If you want to see more, check out the rest of the photos here. [Izismile via TechEBlog via The Atlantic]