Daily Nostalgia

Polio Vaccine Announced

2010-03-26T11:33:00.001-04:00

1953: Dr. Jonas Salk announces the successful test of a vaccine against polio.

First Colour TV

2010-03-25T09:59:00.001-04:00

1954: RCA released the first colour television model for sale in the US. The set had a 15-inch screen (12-inches viewable) and sold for $1,000.

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

2010-03-24T08:40:00.001-04:00

1989: The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred off the coast of Alaska, causing one of the worst environmental disasters in history.

Cold Fusion Claim Announced

2010-03-23T12:26:00.001-04:00

1989: Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announce that they have achieved cold fusion. This is later demonstrated to be a fraud when other scientists fail to replicate their experiments.

Beatles Release First Album

2010-03-22T09:12:00.001-04:00

1963: The first Beatles album, Please Please Me, is released in the UK.

Alcatraz Closes

2010-03-21T10:14:00.001-04:00

1963: The infamous prison on Alcatraz Island, also known as "The Rock", closes.

General Theory of Relativity Published

2010-03-20T11:02:00.001-04:00

1916: Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity. This expanded on his earlier special theory of relativity and unified it with Newtonian gravity. The theory describes gravity as a geometric property of four-dimensional spacetime, and it remains the current model in modern physics today.

Zapruder Film Broadcast

2010-03-06T09:12:00.001-05:00

1975: The Zapruder film, which shows the Kennedy assassination, is broadcast on television for the first time.

Winston Churchill Gives Iron Curtain Speech

2010-03-05T08:48:00.001-05:00

1946: Winston Churchill uses the term "Iron Curtain" for the first time in a speech in the United States.

First Cray Supercomputer Shipped

2010-03-04T09:35:00.001-05:00

1976: The first Cray supercomputer, the Cray-1, is shipped to Los Alamos National Laboratory

First Issue of Time Magazine

2010-03-03T09:27:00.001-05:00

1923: The first issue of Time Magazine is published.

Pioneer 10 Launched

2010-03-02T09:51:00.001-05:00

1972: Pioneer 10 is launched. It was the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt and directly observe Jupiter. It is also the first human object to leave the solar system.

Puerto Rican Nationalists Attack Capitol

2010-03-01T07:58:00.001-05:00

1954: Members of the Puerto Rican independence movement open fire on the US Congress, injuring five representatives. The four attackers would be released in the late seventies in a spy trade with Cuba.

Waco Raid

2010-02-28T09:25:00.001-05:00

1993: ATF agents raid an armed compound of domestic terrorists and cultists in Waco, Texas, beginning a 51-day siege.

AIM Begins Occupation of Wounded Knee

2010-02-27T09:55:00.001-05:00

1973: The American Indian Movement (AIM) begins its occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota over issues of poor conditions on reservations, native rights and treaty violations. This would begin a 71-day standoff with the US government. During the standoff, Marlon Brando refused to accept his Oscar for The Godfather in support of their actions and in protest over the poor treatment of natives in the film industry.

US Troops Withdraw from Lebanon

2010-02-26T09:03:00.001-05:00

1984: Following an attack against US and French military forces in the capital of Beirut in late 1983, killing roughly 300, the US began to withdraw their troops from the country. The withdrawal was completed on February 26.

First Pan American Games

2010-02-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

1951: The first Pan American Games are held in Buenos Aires. The games occur even four years, in the year prior to the Summer Olympics.

Engagement of Charles and Di Announced

2010-02-24T08:35:00.001-05:00

1981: Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Supernova 1987A Detected

2010-02-23T08:02:00.001-05:00

1987: Supernova 1987A is detected near the Tarantula Nebula. This was the first supernova detected in the modern era, allowing astronomers to study one for the first time. It was bright enough to be seen with the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere.

First Mammal Cloned

2010-02-22T09:18:00.001-05:00

1997: Dolly the sheep is cloned in Scotland. This was the first successful cloning of a mammal, and it sparked a public debate about human cloning.

DNA Discovered

2010-02-21T10:24:00.000-05:00

1954: James Watson and Francis Crick discover the structure of the DNA molecule. They would be awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962 for their work.

Avro Arrow Cancelled

2010-02-20T09:24:00.001-05:00

1959: The Avro Arrow project is cancelled, causing controversy and political debate.

Mir Launched

2010-02-19T08:28:00.001-05:00

1986: The Soviet space station Mir is launched successfully. Over the following ten years, additional modules would be launched to expand the station. After 15 years of operation, it was de-orbited in 2001.

Pluto Discovered

2010-02-18T08:09:00.001-05:00

1930: After nearly a year of searching, Clyde Tombaugh discovered the planet Pluto. The name was suggested by 11-year-old Venetia Burney, who had an interest in classical mythology.

First Weather Satellite Launched

2010-02-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

1959: Vanguard 2 launches successfully to become the first weather satellite. It only operated for 19 days, but it remains in orbit today.