Back on this date in 1930, a 25 year old registered nurse and licensed pilot began her new job as the first ever female flight attendant. Ellen Church was then known as a stewardess, one of the many labels to be applied to airline employees charged with attending to passenger safety and providing for the provisioning of food on flights. (来源：专业英语学习网站 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

Just as the job title flight attendant has undergone a series of name changes, so has the title steward been applied to a variety of jobs. The original steward had a broad application referring to one called upon to exercise responsible care over possessions entrusted to him or her. The steward of the Middle Ages was employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic matters (such as the supervision of servants, collection of rents, and keeping of accounts). Two more modern associations of the term include shop steward, a union member elected as a union representative of a shop or department in dealings with the management; and the steward who is a fiscal agent or manager.

Where do these senses come from? Steward—one of the oldest words in our language—was formed from the Old English words for "sty; hall;" plus "ward." So the Old English steward was "one who kept watch over a hall (or sty)."