On this day in 1970, Apollo 13 blasted off on a mission to the moon that was disrupted when an explosion crippled the spacecraft. The three astronauts onboard consisted of James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr., and Fred W. Haise, Jr. All three managed to return safely to Earth on April 17, six days after launch.
The crew of the Apollo 13 mission step aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima, prime recovery ship for the mission, following splashdown and recovery operations in the South Pacific. From left: astronauts Fred. W. Haise, Jr., lunar module pilot; James A. Lovell Jr., commander; and John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot.
On this day in 1958, Explorer 1 became the United States’ first satellite in space. The launch of the satellite — twice the size of a basketball — was an important moment for the country, as the Space Race with the Soviet Union was just beginning.
The three men responsible for the success of Explorer 1, at left is Dr. William H. Pickering, former director of JPL, which built and operated the satellite. Dr. James A. van Allen, center, of the State University of Iowa, designed and built the instrument on Explorer that discovered the radiation belts which circle the Earth. At right is Dr. Wernher von Braun, leader of the Army’s Redstone Arsenal team which built the first stage Redstone rocket that launched Explorer 1.
On this day in 1945, Private Eddie Donald Slovik became the only U.S. soldier since the American Civil War to be executed for desertion.
On this day in 1940, the 114-day Battle of Britain began during World War II.
The Telstar Communications satellite was launched on this day in 1962. It relayed TV and telephone signals between Europe and the U.S.
Millard Fillmore(January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874)
Following Zachary Taylor’s death,Millard Fillmore (above) became the 13th President of the United States on this day in 1850. He was the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president.
Zachary Taylor(November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850)
The identity and source of Taylor’s illness are the subject of historical speculation, although it is known that Taylor and several of his cabinet members had come down with similar intestinal ailments on July 4, 1850, while attending holiday celebrations during a fund-raising event.
Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (January 14, 1965 – July 10, 2006)
Basayev was a Chechen militant Islamist and a leader of the Chechen movement.
He was killed by an explosion on July 10, 2006. Controversy still surrounds who was responsible for his death.
Folk singer/songwriter Arlo Davy Guthrieis 71 years older today.
Explorer I was put into orbit around the earth on this day in 1958. It was the first U.S. earth satellite.
From left: William Picketing, James Van Allen, and German scientist Wernher von Braun hold a model of Explorer 1.
On this day in 2001, a Scottish court in the Netherlands convicted one Libyan )above) and acquitted a second in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that occurred in 1988.
On this day in 1945, Private Eddie Slovik became the only U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion.
Norman Kingsley Mailer(January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007)
Norman Mailer was a novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, film-maker, actor, and political activist. His novel The Naked and the Dead, published in 1948 brought him fame. His best-known work is widely considered to be The Executioner’s Song (1979) winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and Armies of the Night won the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction and the National Book Award.
Franz Peter Schubert(January 31, 1797 – November 19, 1828)
Austrian composer was extremely prolific during his lifetime, which was only 31 years. His work consists of over 600 secular vocal works, seven complete symphonies, sacred music, operas, incidental music and a large amount of chamber and piano music. Schubert is ranked among the greatest composers of the late Classical and early Romantic eras and is one of the most frequently performed composers of the early 19th century.
Franz Schubert at the piano by Rudolf Klingsbögl.
U.S. military forces attacked a terrorist camp in Afghanistan and a chemical plant in Sudan. Both targets were chosen for cruise missile strikes due to their connection with Osama bin Laden.
On this day in 1968, the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations began invading Czechoslovakia to crush the "Prague Spring" liberalization.
NASA’S Voyager 2 was launched by the United States on this day in 1977. The spacecraft was carrying a 12 inch copper phonograph record containing greetings in dozens of languages, samples of music and sounds of nature.
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008)
Singer and songwriter Isaac Hayes co-founded the soul music label Stax Records alongside David Porter in the 1960s. He and Porter wrote the popular 1967 song "Soul Man" for the duo Sam & Dave.
Hayes also earned recognition for his Academy Award-winning original song "Theme from Shaft" for the 1971 film Shaft.
He began singing at his local church at age five and eventually taught himself how to play the piano, organ, flute, and saxophone.
Robert Anthony Plant is 69 years old today.
Iconic rock star Robert Plant gained fame as the vocalist and songwriter of the classic rock band Led Zeppelin, known for such hits as "Stairway to Heaven" and "When the Levee Breaks." He was named the #1 Lead Singer of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine in 2011. He was once in training to become an accountant before becoming involved in the blues scene.
