The Millau Viaduct in France opened as the world's tallest bridge
Designed by British architect Norman Foster, this cable-stayed bridge stands taller than the Eiffel Tower at its highest point. The bridge's roadway s...
Historical Events
2004
1986
Experimental aircraft Voyager completed the first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world
Pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager landed after 9 days, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds in the air, covering 26,366 miles. The lightweight aircraft was so f...
1972
Eugene Cernan became the last person to walk on the Moon during Apollo 17
MajorAs commander of Apollo 17, Cernan was the last astronaut to leave his footprints on the lunar surface. Before departing, he famously said, 'We leave a...
1962
NASA's Mariner 2 became the first spacecraft to successfully fly by another planet when it passed Venus
The probe revealed Venus's incredibly hostile environment, with surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead. This mission confirmed that Venus rotate...
1947
NASCAR was founded at a meeting in the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida
Bill France Sr. organized a meeting of racing promoters that led to the creation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The sport grew...
1911
Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole
MajorNorwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team reached the South Pole after a grueling journey through Antarctica. They beat British explorer Robert F...
1900
Quantum physics was born when Max Planck presented his quantum theory to the German Physical Society
MajorPlanck's revolutionary theory suggested that energy is released in discrete packets called 'quanta,' fundamentally changing our understanding of physi...
1896
The first performance of 'La Bohème' premiered in Turin, Italy
Giacomo Puccini's beloved opera had its world premiere at the Teatro Regio in Turin, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Despite a lukewarm initial recepti...
1819
Alabama became the 22nd state admitted to the United States
Alabama joined the Union as a slave state, maintaining the balance between free and slave states. The state's name comes from the Alabama tribe of Nat...
1782
The Montgolfier brothers successfully demonstrated the first hot air balloon flight with animals aboard
A sheep, a duck, and a rooster became the first living passengers in a hot air balloon at Versailles. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette watched as t...
1542
Princess Mary Stuart became Queen of Scotland when she was just six days old
Following her father King James V's death, the infant Mary became queen, making her one of the youngest monarchs in history. She would later become kn...
1287
A massive North Sea storm created the Zuider Zee, flooding inland and killing over 50,000 people
Known as St. Lucia's flood, this catastrophic storm transformed the Dutch landscape by creating a new inland sea. Entire villages disappeared beneath...
