Seventy-three years after it sank to the North Atlantic ocean
floor, a joint U.S.-French expedition locates the wreck of the
RMS Titanic. The sunken liner was about 400 miles east of
Newfoundland in the North Atlantic, some 13,000 feet below
the surface.

Efforts to locate and salvage the Titanic began almost
immediately after it sank. But technical limitations—as
well as the sheer vastness of the North Atlantic search
area—made it extremely difficult.

American oceanographer and former Navy officer Robert D.
Ballard, who was based out of the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution in Massachusetts, led his first search expedition
in 1977, which was unsuccessful.

Ballard also discovered the wreck of John F. Kennedy‘s
PT-109 in 2002.

Robert Duane Ballard (82)

  
CAMILLE BOHANNON

Sir George Ivan Morrison is a singer-songwriter and musician
from Northern Ireland whose recording career spans seven
decades. He’s 79 years old today.

The Space Shuttle Discovery took off on its maiden voyage
on this day in history.

For Discovery, the fourth time was the charm: The previous
three launch attempts were scrubbed, with one canceled
just six seconds before liftoff.

That aborted launch — the first of its kind for the Space
Shuttle program — occurred on June 26, 1984.

The mission was called off after an issue was discovered
with one of the main engines. 

Discovery deployed three satellites: the Satellite Business
System SBS-D; the SYCOM IV-2 (also known as LEASAT-2);
and the TELSTAR.

The crew assigned to the mission included (seated left to
right) Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, mission specialist; Steven
A. Hawley, mission specialist; Henry W. Hartsfield,
commander; and Michael L. (Mike) Coats, pilot.
Standing in the rear are Charles D. Walker, payload
specialist; and Judith A. (Judy) Resnik, mission specialist.