NASA launches the first weather satellite, Tiros 1.
2
2 years ago, in 1958:
The National Advisory Council on Aeronautics is renamed NASA.
3
4
5
6
This year:
Sputnik 3 burns up after reentering Earth's atmosphere.
7
8
9
1 year ago, in 1959:
NASA introduces it's first 7 astronauts, the "Mercury Seven".
10
11
12
143 years ago, in 1817:
Charles Messier dies at age 86 in Paris, France.
111 years ago, in 1849:
Annibale de Gasparis of Italy discovers the fourth largest asteroid, Hygiea.
13
This year:
A Thor-Ablestar launches Transit 1B, the first experimental satellite of what will eventually become the Global Navigation Satellite System.
14
2 years ago, in 1958:
Sputnik 2 burns up after reentering Earth's atmosphere.
15
This year:
Luna E-3 No.1 (Luna 1960A), a Soviet spacecraft intended to fly around the Moon on a circumlunar trajectory, fails to make it out of Earth orbit.
16
This year:
Luna E-3 No.2 (Luna 1960B), a Soviet spacecraft intended to fly around the Moon on a circumlunar trajectory, loses the boosters from the rocket and crashes.
17
86 years ago, in 1874:
The French astronomer Jerome Coggia discovers Comet Coggia (C/1874 H1, the Great Comet of 1874).
5 years ago, in 1955:
Albert Einstein dies of a rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, in Princeton, New Jersey.
18
170 years ago, in 1790:
Caroline Herschel discovers her fourth comet, Comet C/1790 H1 (Herschel).
19
20
21
22
274 years ago, in 1686:
Giovanni Cassini discovers one of Saturn's moons, Dione.
23
24
25
26
40 years ago, in 1920:
The Great Debate (Shapley–Curtis) about the size of the universe takes place at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
It's been 3965 days
