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Calendar of some Astronomy
and Space Related Events

This calendar is a record of historical events for the whole year. If you are looking for current events (launches, natural phenomena...), I'd recommend Ron Baalke's "Space Calendar" web site at JPL.

January Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Jan1 1801; Italy; Giuseppe Piazza became the first person to record a discovery of an asteroid (1 Ceres).
Jan2 1900; OSA; Leslie Peltier Was born.
1920; USSR; Isaac Asimov was born.
1959; USSR; Luna 1 was launched to the Moon and solar orbit, became the first craft to leave the Earth's gravity.
Jan3 1958; USSR; Sputnik 1 was destroyed during re-entry.
1986; USA; Stephen Synnott discovered Uranus' moons Juliet & Portia.
2004; USA; Spirit lands, becomes first rover on Mars.
Jan4 1963; USSR; ??????? was launched (to the Moon? - failed).
Jan5 1905; USA; Charles Perrine discovers Jupiter's Moon Elara.
1969; USSR; Venera 5 was launched to Venus.
1972; USA; NASA announced the beginning of the space shuttle program.
2005; USA; Michael Brown, Chadwick Trujillo, and David Rabinowitz discovered a candidate tenth planet within data collected in 2003.
Jan7 1610; Italy; Galileo Galilei discovered the first 3 moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, and Callisto).
1888; USA; Lick Observatory first used its 36-inch refractor, still the largest in the world.
1968; USA; Surveyor 7 was launched to softland on the Moon, 1968.
1985; Japan; Sakigaki (Japan's first deep-space probe) was launched to study the solar wind and magnetic field as it flew by Comet Halley.
Jan8 1905; USA?; Paul Gotz discovered asteroids 554 Peraga & 556 Phyllis.
1973; USSR; Luna 21 was launched carrying Lunokhod 2 to the Moon.
Jan9 1986; USA; Stephen Synnott discovered Uranus' moon Cressida.
Jan10 1936; USA; Robert Wilson was born (co-discoverer of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation).
1946; USA; The US Army Signal Corps bounced the first radar signals off a celestial body (the Moon).
1969; USSR; Venera 6 was launched to Venus.
Jan11 1610; Italy; Galileo Galilei discovered the fourth moon of Jupiter (Ganymede).
1787; England; Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus' moons Titania and Oberon.
Jan13 1986; USA; Stephen Synnott discovered Uranus' moons Belinda, Desdemona, and Rosalind.
Jan14 1742; England; Edmond Halley died.
2004; Europe; Huygens successfully becomes first craft to land on a body beyond Mars (Saturn's moon, Titan).
Jan15 1906; Germany; August Kopff discovered asteroid 584 Semiramis.
1976; Germany/USA; Helios 2 was launch into solar orbit to study solar wind.
Jan17 1997; USA; Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of planet Pluto, died.
Jan19 1840; International; Antarctica (known since the 1820s) defined as a continent.
1980; Voyager 1 Discovered Saturn's moon Janus.
1965; USA; Gemini-II was launched on an unmanned, suborbital flight.
Jan20 1930; USA; Buzz Aldrin was born.
1986; USA; Rich Terrile discovered Uranus' moons Cordelia & Ophelia.
Jan23 1986; USA; Brad Smith discovered Uranus' moon Bianca.
Jan24 1986; USA; Voyager 2 became the first craft to fly by, and returned the first closeup images of Uranus.
1990; Japan; Hiten was launched to the Moon (see also March 19).
2004; USA; Opportunity lands, becomes second rover on Mars.
Jan26 1962; USA; Ranger 3 was launched to the Moon (missing by 36,800km).
1980; USA; Voyager 1 discovered Saturn's moon Epimetheus.
Jan27 1967; USA; 3 Apollo crewmen were killed in a "plugs-out" test of the CSM on the launch pad.
Jan28 1611; Germany; Johannes Hevelius was born.
1986; USA; space shuttle Challenger exploded 104 seconds after liftoff, killing all 7 crewmembers.
Jan30 1964; USA; Ranger 6 was launched to impact on the Moon (but the cameras failed).
1969; USA; USA/Canadian satellite ISIS 1 was launched (International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies).
Jan31 1961; USA; Mercury-Redstone 2 launched chimpanzee Ham on a suborbital flight.
1966; USSR; Luna 9 was launched to softland on the Moon.
1971; USA; Apollo 14 launched a crew of 3 to land the third pair of men on the Moon.

Jan February Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Feb3 1965; USA; OSO 2 was launched for general solar studies.
1966; USSR's Luna 9 landed on the Moon, becoming the first craft to softland on and return images from another celestial body.
Feb4 1906; USA; Clyde W. Tombaugh was born.
1967; USA; Lunar Orbiter 2 was launched to impact on the Moon.
Feb5 1971; USA; Apollo 14 became the third manned spacecraft to land on the Moon.
1974; USA; Mariner 10 flew by and returned the first close-up images of Venus, 5,769km distant, and continued on to Mercury.
Feb6 1991; Russia; Soviet space station Salyut 7 burned up during re-entry.
Feb7 1984; USA; Bruce McCandless made the first untethered spacewalk.
Feb9 1905; Germany; Max Wolf discovered asteroid 558 Carmen.
Feb11 1970; Japan became the 4th nation to launch an artificial satellite, Ohsumi.
Feb12 1961; USSR; Venera 1 was launched to the first flyby of Venus (contact was lost at 8.5Mkm).
2001; USA; Probe NEAR becomes first craft to land on an asteroid.
Feb14 1963; USA; Syncom 1, the first geosynchronous satellite, was launched.
1972; USSR; Luna 20 was launched to softland on, and return samples from the Moon.
1980; USA; Solar Maximum Mission was launched to study all aspects of the Sun.
1990; USA; Voyager 1 looks back towards the Sun to take a whole-solar-system "Family Portrait" series of images.
2000; USA; NEAR becomes first artificial satellite of an asteroid, Eros.
Feb15 1564; Italy; Galileo Galilei was born.
1973; USSR; Prognoz 3 was launched to study solar flares, X- and gamma- rays.
Feb16 1906; Germany; August Kopff discovered asteroid 585 Bilkis.
1906; USA; Joel Metcalf Discovered asteroids 602 Marianna, 603 Timandra, and 604 Tekmessa.
1948; USA; Dutch astronomer Gerard Kuiper discovered Uranus' moon Miranda.
1974; Japan; Taiyo (MS-T2) was launched for solar UV and soft X-ray studies.
Feb17 1964; USA; Ranger 7 was launched to softland on the Moon.
1996; USA; Probe NEAR was launched to rendezvous (and land on) asteroid Eros.
Feb18 1930; USA; Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered Pluto.
Feb19 1473; Poland; Nicholas Copernicus was born.
Feb20 1962; USA; Mercury "Freedom 7" was launched, carrying the first US astronaut (John Glenn) to a full Earth orbit.
1986; USSR; Space station Mir was launched.
Feb21 1906; Germany; Max Wolf discovered asteroid 586 Thekla.
1906; Germany; August Kopff Discovered asteroid 596 Schelia.
Feb22 1966; USSR; Kosmos 110 (AKA Voshkod 3) launched dogs Veterok and Ugolyok into 23 orbits, and recovery.
1906; Germany; Max Wolf discovered asteroids 587 Hypsipyle and 588 Achilles.
Feb24 1968; The first discovery of a Pulsar was announced.
1969; USA; Mariner 6 was launched to a flyby of Mars (and is now in solar orbit).
Feb26 1966; USA; Apollo 3, the first Apollo flight, was launched.

Jan Feb March Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Mar1 1965; USSR; Venera 3 became the first craft to impact on Venus (crushed during descent).
1966; USSR; Cosmos III was launched (to the Moon? - failed).
1980: USA; Laques & Lechaceux discovered Saturn's moon Helene.
Mar2 1968; USSR; Zond 4 was launched to the Moon for an unknown purpose.
1972; USA; Pioneer 10 was launched to Jupiter.
Mar3 1959; USA; Pioneer 4 was launched for solar studies and a lunar flyby.
1967; USA; OGO 5 was launched for solar studies.
1969; USA; Apollo 9 was launched to Earth orbit to test the command and service module and the lunar module.
Mar4 1979; USA; Voyager 1 discovered Jupiter's ring.
Mar5 1512; Flanders; Gerardus Mercator (Gerhard Kremer) was born.
1968; USA; Explorer 37 was launched for solar studies.
1979; USA; Voyager 1 made its closest approach to Jupiter.
Mar6 1787; Germany; Joseph von Fraunhofer was born.
1986; USSR; Vega 1 became the first craft to fly by and return close-up (approx. 10,000km) images of Comet Halley.
Mar7 1792; England; Sir John Frederick William Herschel was born.
1962; USA; OSO 1 was launched for solar studies.
Mar8 1967; USA; OSO 3 was launched for solar studies.
1986; Japan; Susei (Japan's second deep-space probe) made its closest approach (420,000km) to Comet Halley.
Mar9 1961; USSR; Sputnik 9 launched a dummy cosmonaut and the dog Chernushka to a single orbit and successful recovery.
1979; USA; Voyager 1 returned the first images of active volcanism on another celestial body (Io).
1986; USSR; USSR's Vega 2 made its closest approach (approx. 3,000km) to Comet Halley.
Mar11 1960; USA; Pioneer 5 was launched for solar studies.
1977; USA; Uranus' rings were discovered.
1986; Japan; Sakigake made its closest approach (7Mkm) to Comet Halley.
Mar12 1835; Canada; Simon Newcomb (first president of the American Astronomical Society) was born.
Mar13 1781; England; German-born Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus.
1855; USA; Percival Lowell was born.
1986; Europe; ESA's Giotto made its closest approach (596km) to Comet Halley, was extensively damaged by dust, and flew on to Comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup.
Mar14 1835: Italy; Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli (correlated meteor showers with comet dust) was born.
1879; Germany; Albert Einstein was born.
Mar15 1713; France; Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was born.
Mar16 1750; Germany; Caroline Herschel (sister and recorder for William Herschel) was born.
1926; USA; Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket.
1966; USA; Gemini-VIII launched Neil Armstrong and David Scott to seven orbits.
1975; USA; Mariner 10 made its third (and final) flyby of Mercury.
Mar17 1930: USA; James Benson Irwin (Apollo 15 module pilot and 8th man on the Moon) was born.
Mar18 1965; USSR; Voskhod 2 launched the first two-man crew into space, and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov embarked upon the first spacewalk.
1980; USSR; Vostok rocket (carrying military spy Satellite Ikar) explodes at liftoff, killing 48 members of the Soviet Missle Troop (announced April 8, 2000).
Mar19 1990; Japan; Satellite Nagoromo was released into lunar orbit from rocket Hiten, and Japan becomes the third country to orbit the Moon.
Mar21 1965; USA; Ranger 9 was launched to impact on the Moon.
Mar23 1840; country?; The first photograph of the Moon was taken.
1965; USA; Gemini-III was launched, with Virgil Grissom (becoming the first man to return to space) and John Young.
Mar24 1893; Germany; American astronomer Walter Baade was born.
Mar25 1655; Netherlands; Christiaan Huygens discovered Saturn's moon Titan.
1961; USSR; Sputnik 10 launched a dummy cosmonaut and the dog Zvezdochka to one orbit and successful recovery.
Mar26 1972; USSR; Venera 8 was launched to softland on Venus.
Mar27 1969; USA; Mariner 7 was launched to fly by Mars' southern pole.
Mar28 1802; Germany; Heinrich Olbers discovered asteroid Pallas.
1986; USA; ICE made its closest approach (31Mkm) to comet Halley.
Mar29 1807; Germany; Heinrich Olbers discovered asteroid Vesta.
1974; USA; Mariner 10 became the first craft to fly by and return close-up images of Mercury, 694km distant.
Mar31 1966; USSR; Luna 10 was launched to lunar orbit.

Jan Feb Mar April May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Apr1 1960; USA; Tiros-1 (first weather satellite) was launched.
1963; USSR; Luna 4 was launched to attempt to land on the Moon (it missed).
1964; USSR; Zond 1 was launched to Venus (contact was lost in a few weeks).
1971; USA; USA/Canadian satellite ISIS 2 was launched (International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies).
Apr2 1845; country?; The first photograph of the Sun was taken.
1963; USSR; Luna 4 was launched to attempt to land on the Moon (it missed).
1964; USSR; Zond 1 was launched to Venus (contact was lost in a few weeks).
Apr3 1966; USSR; Luna 10 became the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
Apr4 1968; USA; Apollo 6 was launched into Earth orbit for unmanned testing of Apollo systems (failed to reach lunar orbit)
1983; USA; Space shuttle Challenger was launched on her maiden flight.
Apr5 1973; USA; Pioneer 11 was launched to the outer solar system.
Apr6 1972; USSR; Cosmos 484 was launched for solar studies.
1992; USA; Isaac Asimov died.
Apr11 1970; USA; Apollo 13 launched to attempt the fourth manned landing on the Moon (in-flight oxygen tank rupture forced an abort).
Apr12 1817; France; Charles Joseph Messier died.
1961; USSR; Vostok 1 launched the first man into space (Yuri Gagarin).
1981; USA; space shuttle Columbia (the first reuseable spacecraft) was launched on her maiden flight.
Apr14 1629; Netherlands; Christiaan Huygens was born.
1972; USSR; USSR's Prognoz 1 was launched for solar studies.
Apr16 1867; USA; Wilbur Wright was born.
1972; USA; Apollo 16 launched a crew of 3 to land the fifth pair of men on the Moon and use the second manned lunar rover.
Apr17 1967; USA; Surveyor 3 was launched to softland on the Moon.
1970; USA; Apollo 13 crew splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean.
Apr19 1971; USSR; Salyut 1 (the first space station) was launched to earth orbit.
1973; Russian/Czech/East German Intercosmos 9 was launched for solar studies
1975; India; Aryabhata was launched from Kapustin Yar for solar studies.
Apr20 1961; USA; The first rocket belt flight was performed.
1972; USA; Apollo 16 made the fifth manned lunar landing.
1973; USA; Canada's Anik 2 satellite was launched, part of the world's first domestic geosynchronous satellite system.
Apr23 1962; USA; Ranger 4 was launched to impact on the Moon (but cameras failed).
1971; USSR; Cosmonauts conducted the first manned docking with a space station.
Apr24 1962; USSR; Cosmos 3 was launched for solar studies.
1967; USSR; Cosmonaut V. Komarov, aboard Soyuz 1, became the first person to die in space.
1970; China; China became the fifth nation to launch an artificial satellite.
Apr26 1962; USA/England; launch of first international satellite, Ariel 1.
Apr28 1900; Netherlands; Jan H. Oort was born.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
May1 1949; USA; Dutch astronomer Gerard Kuiper discovered Neptune's moon Nereid.
May4 1967; USA; Lunar Orbiter 4 was launched to the Moon.
May5 1961; USA; Mercury 3 launched the first American astronaut, Alan Shephard, into space on a suborbital flight.
May7 1973; USA; Canada's Anik 3 satellite was launched, part of the world's first domestic geosynchronous satellite system.
May8 1963; USA; Telstar 2 relayed the first transoceanic color TV signal.
1971; USA; Mariner 8 was launched to Mars (but failed to leave Earth's atmosphere).
May9 1965; USSR; Luna 5 was launched to failed softlanding on the Moon.
May11 1871; England; Sir John Frederick William Herschel died.
1916; Germany; Einstein presented his "Theory of Relativity".
May14 1973; USA; Skylab 1, the first US space station, was launched into earth orbit.
May17 1836; England; Joseph Lockyer was born.
1974; Russian/Czech/E. German Intercosmos 11 was launched for solar studies.
May18 1969; USA; Apollo 10 was launched to a manned lunar orbit, fully testing all modules (including 14km approach to the Moon).
May19 1971; USSR; Salyut 1 (the first space station) was launched to earth orbit.
1973; Russian/Czech/E. German Intercosmos 9 was launched for solar studies.
1975; India; Aryabhata was launched from Kapustin Yar for solar studies.
May20 1978; USA; Pioneer-Venus 1 was launched to orbit Venus.
May24 1543; Poland; Nicholas Copernicus died.
May25 1961; USA; President Kennedy declared that landing a man on the Moon before the end of the decade was a national objective.
May28 1971; USSR; Mars 3 was launched to the first softlanding on Mars.
May29 1919; country?; Einstein's theory of relativity was tested by a British solar eclipse expedition (light rays from Regulus were deflected by the Sun's gravity).
1974; USSR; Luna 22 was launched to the Moon.
May30 1966; USA; Surveyor 1 was launched to a lunar softlanding.
1971; USA; Mariner 9 was launched to the first orbit of Mars.
May31 1955; USSR; Soviets began construction on their Cosmodrome launching site.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Jun1 1966; USA; Surveyor 1 softlanded on the Moon.
Jun3 1948; USA; Hale observatory's 200-inch telescope was dedicated.
1965; USA; Edward White performed the first American spacewalk, 1965.
1974; USA; Explorer 52 was launched for solar studies.
Jun5 1819; England; John Couch Adams was born (first to correctly theorize undiscovered Neptune's location, 1845).
1969; USA; OGO 6 was launched for auroral studies.
Jun6 1971; USSR; Soyuz 7 was launched into Earth orbit, carrying the first men to a space station (Salyut 1).
Jun7 1966; USA; OGO 3 was launched for Earth-Sun relationship studies.
Jun8 1625; Italy; Giovanni Cassini was born.
1695; Netherlands; Christiaan Huygens died.
1957; USA; the X-15 was flown for the first time.
1965; USSR; Luna 6 was launched to, but missed the Moon.
1975; USSR; Venera 9 was launched to the first orbit of Venus (and later returned the first image of the surface of Venus).
Jun9 1931; USA; Robert Goddard patented the first rocket-powered aircraft design.
Jun10 1973; USA; Explorer 49 was launched to perform radio astronomy from the lunar farside.
Jun12 1967; USSR; Venera 4 was launched to impact on Venus.
Jun13 1983; USA; Pioneer 10 became first spacecraft to leave the known solar system.
Jun14 1967; USA; Mariner 5 was launched to flyby of Venus.
1975; USSR's Venera 10 was launched to softland on Venus.
Jun16 1963; USSR; Vostok 6 was launched into Earth orbit (Valentina Tereshkova, the first and only woman to perform a solo flight in space).
1967; USSR; Cosmos 166 was launched for solar X-ray studies.
Jun18 1926; USA; Allan Sandage was born.
1983; USA; Space shuttle Challenger was launched into Earth orbit, carrying Sally Ride, the first American woman into space.
Jun19 1976; USA; Viking 1 achieved orbit of Mars.
1981; Europe; ESA's first successful launch of Ariane carried it into Earth orbit.
Jun20 1939; Germany; the first liquid-fuel rocket plane is flown.
Jun21 1975; USA; OSO 8 was launched for solar studies.
2004; USA; SpaceShipOne, first privately-funded rocket launched into space (100km).
Jun22 1675; England; The Royal Greenwich Observatory was founded.
1978; USA; James Christy discovered Pluto's moon, Charon.
Jun25 1894; Romania; Hermann (Julius) Oberth was born.
Jun26 1730; France; Charles Joseph Messier was born.
Jun27 1962; USA; The X-15 set a speed record of 6,606km/hr (4,105mph).
Jun28 1889; USA; Maria Mitchell died.
Jun29 1868; USA; George Ellery Hale was born.
1972; USSR; Prognoz 2 was launched for solar studies.
Jun30 1905; Switzerland; Albert Einstein published a paper introducing the theory of Special Relativity.
1908; Russia; The Tunguska event occurred.
1971; USSR; The crew (3) of Soyuz 11 died during reentry.
1972; Russian/Czech/East German Intercosmos 7 was launched for solar short-wave radiation studies.
2001; USA; WMAP was launched to probe the conditions present in the early universe.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Jul1 1966; USA; Explorer 33 was launched to the Moon (failed).
Jul2 1985; Europe; ESA's Giotto was launched to fly-bys of Comets Halley and P/Grigg-Skjellerup.
Jul4 1054; Global?; The sighting of the supernova that created the Crab Nebula was first recorded.
Jul5 1966; USA; Unmanned Apollo 2 was launched for the first Apollo orbiter test.
Jul6 1687; England; "Principia" was published by Sir Isaac Newton.
Jul8 1971; USA; Explorer 44 was launched for solar studies.
Jul9 1979; USA; Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Jupiter.
Jul10 1962; USA; Telstar, the world's first private telecommunications satellite, was launched.
1992; Europe; Giotto made its closest approach (200km) to comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup.
Jul11 1979; USA; Skylab burned up upon reentry over western Australia.
Jul12 2006; USA; Genesis Pathfinder was launched, a technology demonstration for the inflatable Nautilus space station structure.
Jul13 1969; USSR; USSR's Luna 15 was launched to orbit and crash on the Moon.
Jul14 1965; USA; Mariner 4 made the first controlled flyby of, and returned the first close-up images of Mars, from a distance of 9,846km.
1967; USA; Surveyor 4 was launched to (failed and crashed onto) the Moon.
Jul15 1975; USA/USSR; Apollo/Soyuz mission was launched, the first joint space effort between the USA and the USSR.
Jul16 1746; Italy; Giuseppe Piazzi was born.
1969; USA; Apollo 11 launched a crew of 3 to land the first pair of men on the Moon.
1974; USA; Germany's Aeros 2 was launched from Vandenberg AFB for solar studies.
Jul17 1850; country?; Vega became the first star to be photographed.
1975; USA/USSR; The crews of Soyuz and Apollo performed the first USA-USSR space docking.
Jul18 1965; USSR; Zond 3 was launched to fly by the Moon.
1966; USA; Gemini-X launched John Young & Michael Collins to rendezvous and dock with Gemini Agena.
Jul19 1846; USA; Edward Pickering was born.
1967; USA; Explorer 35 was launched to study the Earth's magnetic field.
Jul20 1969; USA; Apollo 11 made the first manned landing on the Moon.
1976; USA; Viking 1 softlanded on and returned the first pictures from the surface of Mars.
Jul21 1961; USA; Mercury 4 was launched (Virgil "Gus" Grissom) for a sub-orbital flight.
1973; USSR; Mars 4 was launched to a flyby (failed orbit) of Mars.
Jul22 1962; USA; Mariner 1 was launched (failed the launch).
1972; USSR; Venera 8 softlanded on Venus.
Jul24 1950; USA; A German V-2 became the first rocket to be launched from Cape Canaveral.
Jul25 1973; USSR; Mars 5 was launched to orbit Mars (contact was lost).
Jul26 1971; USA; Apollo 15 launched a crew of 3 to land the fourth pair of men on the Moon and use the first manned lunar rover.
Jul27 1801; England; George Airy was born.
1976; Sweden/USSR; Intercosmos 16 was launched for solar studies.
Jul28 1851; country?; A total solar eclipse was photographed for the first time.
1962; USSR; Cosmos 7 was launched to monitor solar flares In preparation for the manned Vostok 3 and 4 flights.
1964; USA; Ranger 7 was launched to softland on the Moon.
1967; USA; OGO 4 was launched for Earth/Sun studies.
Jul29 1958; USA; The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded.
Jul30 1971; USA; Apollo 15 made the fourth manned lunar landing.
Jul31 1964; USA; Ranger 7 returned the first images from the surface of the Moon.
1969; USA; Mariner 6 made its flyby of Mars at a distance of 3,412km.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul August Sep Oct Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Aug1 1967; USA; Lunar Orbiter 5 was launched to eventual impact on the Moon.
Aug4 1971; USA; Apollo 15 launched the first lunar satellite from a manned spacecraft.
Aug5 1969; USA; Mariner 7 flew past Mars at a distance of 3.534km.
1973; USSR; Mars 6 was launched to softland on Mars (contact was lost during descent).
Aug6 1181; China; Discovery of a supernova in Cassiopeia was recorded (remnant now known as "3C 58" or "G130.7+3.1").
1961; USSR; Vostok 2 was launched (Gherman Titov, second man in space) on a 25-hr flight.
Aug7 1959; USA; Explorer 6 was launched to take the first satellite image of the Earth.
1976; USA; Viking 2 entered orbit around Mars.
Aug8 1969; USSR; Zond 7 was launched to the Moon.
1976; USA; Viking 2 established orbit around Mars.
1978; USA; Pioneer-Venus 2 was launched with four probes to impact on, and one to orbit Venus.
Aug9 1969; USA; OSO 6 was launched for solar studies.
1973; USSR; Mars 7 was launched to orbit of Mars (but flew by).
1976; USSR; Luna 24 was launched to softland on the Moon, drill a core sample, and return to the Earth.
2006; USA; James Van Allen (discoverer of the Earth's "Van Allen Belts") died.
Aug10 1960; USA; Discoverer 13 was launched.
1966; USA; Lunar Orbiter 1 was launched to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for future landings.
Aug11 1877; USA; Asaph Hall discovered Mars' moon Deimos.
1977; USA; Mock shuttle Enterprise made the first approach and landing test.
Aug12 1960; USA; Echo 1, the first communications satellite was launched.
Aug13 1596; Denmark?; David Fabricius determines Mira (Omicron Ceti) is a variable star (the second variable discovered). 1814; Sweden; Anders Jonas Ångström was born.
Aug17 1877; USA; Asaph Hall discovered Mars' moon Phobos.
1958; USA; Thor-Able 1 was launched for the first attempt to reach the Moon (but failed).
1966; USA; Pioneer 7 was launched to solar orbit.
1970; USSR; Venera 7 was launched to the first softlanding on Venus.
Aug18 1985; Japan; Suisei was launched to flyby of Comet Halley.
Aug19 1646; England; John Flamsteed was born.
1871; USA; Orville Wright was born.
Aug20 1975; USA; Viking 1 was launched to return the first images from the surface of Mars.
1977; USA; Voyager 2 was launched.
Aug21 1965; USA; Gemini-V was launched, with Gordon Cooper becoming the first man to make a second orbital flight.
2002; USA; Atlas V launch vehicle is sent on its maiden flight, carrying a French satellite.
Aug22 1963; USA; The X-15 rocket plane set an altitude record of 108km (354,300ft).
1976; USSR; Luna 24 returned to the Earth from the Moon.
Aug23 1966; USA; Lunar Orbiter 1 returned the first image of the Earth from the vicinity of the Moon.
Aug24 1966; USSR; USSR's Luna 11 was launched from an earth-orbiting platform to orbit the Moon.
2006; Czech Republic; The IAU formalized a definition for "planet", which now excludes Pluto.
Aug25 1822; England; Sir William Herschel died.
1965; USA; OSO C failed on the launch pad.
1981; USA; Voyager 2 flew by Saturn.
1989; USA; Voyager 2 became first craft to fly by Neptune.
Aug26 1962; USA; Mariner 2 was launched to the first controlled flyby of Venus.
Aug27 1969; USA; Pioneer E failed on the launchpad.
Aug28 1789; England; Sir William Herschel discovered Saturn's moon Enceladus.
Aug30 1984; USA; Space shuttle Discovery was launched on her maiden flight.
1991; Japan; Yohkoh was launched to observe solar X-ray and gamma-ray phenomena.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug September Oct Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Sep1 1979; USA; Pioneer 11 flew past and returned the first close-up images of Saturn.
Sep2 1804; Germany; Asteroid Juno was discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding.
1971; USSR; Luna 18 was launched to orbit the Moon (and eventually crashed).
Sep3 1976; USA; Viking 2 softlanded on Mars.
Sep4 1964; USA; OGO 1 was launched for solar studies.
Sep7 1914; USA; James van Allen was born.
Sep5 1977; USA; Voyager 1 was launched to Jupiter, Saturn, and interstellar space.
Sep8 1966; USA; The pilot for the TV show "Star Trek" airs.
1967; USA; Surveyor 5 was launched to softland on the Moon.
Sep9 1892; USA; Edward Emerson Barnard discovered Jupiter's moon Amalthea.
1975; USA; Viking 2 was launched to softland on Mars.
1978; USSR; Venera 11 was launched to softland on Venus.
Sep11 1985; USA; ICE made the first flyby (7,862km) of a comet (Giacobini-Zinner).
Sep12 1959; USSR; Luna 2, the first craft to impact on the Moon, was launched.
1966; USA; Gemini-XI launched Charles Conrad and Richard Gordon to rendezvous with an Agena target vehicle.
1970; USSR; Luna 16 was launched to the Moon to return 100gm of soil.
Sep14 1712; France; Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini died.
1974; USA; Charles Kowal discovered Jupiter's moon Leda.
1978; USSR; Venera 12 was launched to softland on Venus.
Sep15 1968; USSR; Zond 5 was launched to orbit the Moon, then splash down in the Indian Ocean.
1991; USA; Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) was launched into orbit from the Space Shuttle.
Sep16 1946; England; James Hopwoodd Jeans died.
Sep18 1819; France; Jean Benard Leon Focault was born.
1959; USA; Vanguard 3 was launched for solar studies.
1977; USA; Voyager 1 returned the first image of the Earth and Moon together.
Sep19 1848; USA; William Cranch Bond discovered Saturn's moon Hyperion.
Sep20 1966; USA; Surveyor 2 was launched to softland (but crashed) on the Moon.
1970; USSR; Zond 8 was launched to orbit the Moon and return.
Sep21 1974; USA; Mariner 10 made its second flyby of Mercury.
Sep22 1977; USSR; Prognoz 6 was launched for solar studies.
2001; USA; Deep Space 1 flew by to within 2,200 km of Comet Borrelly.
Sep23 1791; Germany; Johann Franz Encke was born. 1846; Germany; Johann Galle discovered Neptune with positional guidance provided by French astronomer Urbain Jean Joseph Leverrier.
Sep25 1960; USA; Atlas-Able 5 was launched to (but failed to reach) the Moon.
Sep26 1983; USSR; Soyuz T-10A exploded on the launch pad and the crew ejected safely.
Sep28 1951; USA; Seth Nickolson discovered Saturn's moon Ananke.
1953; USA; Edwin Hubble died.
1962; USA; Alouette, Canada's first satellite was launched to study the Earth's ionosphere.
1971; Japan; Shinsei SS1 was launched for solar studies.
1971; USSR; Luna 19 was launched to orbit the Moon.
Sep29 1971; USA; OSO 7 was launched for solar studies.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep October Nov Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Oct 1 1958; USA; The inauguration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) took place.
Oct 2 1984; USSR; An endurance record of 237 days in space was set by a Russian cosmonaut.
Oct 3 1985; USA; Space shuttle Atlantis was launched on her maiden flight.
Oct 4 1957; USSR; Sputnik 1 was launched to become the first artificial satellite.
1959; USSR; Luna 3 was launched to the first circumlunar flight.
1965; USSR; Luna 7 was launched to softland (but crashed) on the Moon.
2004; USA; SpaceShipOne became the first privately-funded craft to return to space, winning the $10M X Prize.
Oct 5 1882; USA; Robert Goddard was born.
1923; USA; The first Cepheid variable in M31 was identified by Edwin Hubble.
Oct 7 1959; USSR; Luna 3 returned the first images of the lunar farside.
Oct 8 1873; Denmark; Ejnar Hertzsprung was born.
Oct 10 1846; England; William Lassell discovered Neptune's moon Triton.
Oct 11 1958; USA; Pioneer 1 was launched to the Moon (failed after 43 hours).
1968; USA; Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo, was launched into earth orbit.
1971; USSR; Salyut 1, the first space station, burned up during deorbit reentry.
Oct 12 1964; USSR; Voskhod 1 carried the first three-man crew into space.
Oct 14 1947; USA; Chuck Yeager, flying a Bell X-1, became the first man to break the sound barrier.
1965; USA; OGO 2 was launched for solar studies.
1969; International; Intercosmos 1 was launched from Plesetsk for solar studies.
1970; International; Intercosmos 4 was launched from Kapustin Yar for studies of the Earth and Sun.
Oct 18 1962; USA; Ranger 5 was launched to impact on the Moon (missed by 725km).
1967; USA; OSO 4 was launched for Solar studies.
Oct 19 1967; USA; Mariner 5 flew past Venus at a distance of 3,990km.
Oct 20 1972; USA; Harlow Shapley died.
Oct 22 2136 BC; China; The first historical record was made of a solar eclipse.
1966; USSR; Luna 12 was launched to softland on the Moon.
1975; USSR; USSR's Venera 9 sent the first images from and of the surface of Venus.
Oct 24 1601; Bohemia; Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe died.
1851; England; William Lassell discovered Uranus' moons Ariel and Umbriel.
Oct 25 1877; France; Italian-born Giovanni Domenico Cassini discovered Saturn's moon Iapetus.
1877; USA; Henry Norris Russell was born.
Oct 28 1974; USSR; Luna 23 was launched to return samples of (but failed to take off from) the Moon.
Oct 29 1656; England; Sir Edmund Halley was born.
1967; USSR; Kosmos 186 and 188 performed the first automated docking in space.
Oct 30 1978; USSR; Prognoz 7 was launched to study the Earth and Sun.
1981; USSR; Venera 13 was launched to softland on, return images from, and take soil analysis of Venus.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct November Dec
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Nov1 1932; Germany; Liquid-fuel rocket development was commenced by Werner von Braun, Germany.
1962; USSR; Mars 1 was launched to the first flyby of Mars (but contact was broken).
1977; USA; Charles Kowal discovered asteroid Chiron.
Nov2 1885; USA; Harlow Shapley was born.
Nov3 1973; USA; Mariner 10 was launched to Venus and the first flyby (and two more) of Mercury.
1973; USA; Pioneer 10 made the first flyby and returned the first close-up images of Jupiter.
Nov4 1981; USSR; Venera 14 was launched to soft landing on Venus.
Nov5 1879; England?; James Clerk Maxwell died.
1906; USA; Fred Whipple was born.
1964; USA; Mariner 3 was launched to Mars, but was lost when its shroud failed to jettison.
1967; USA; ATS-3 was launched to take the first image of the whole earth.
1992; Netherlands; Jan Oort died.
Nov6 1966; USA; Lunar Orbiter 2 was launched to orbit the Moon and eventual impact.
Nov7 1918; USA; Robert Goddard demonstrated tube-launched solid-fuel rockets.
1967; USA; Surveyor 6 was launched to land on the Moon.
1996; USA; Mars Global Surveyor was launched to orbit and survey Mars; performed well for over nine years.
Nov8 1656; England; Sir Edmund Halley was born.
1958; USA; Pioneer 2 was launched to, but failed to reach the Moon.
1968; USA; Pioneer 9 was launched into solar orbit for general solar studies.
1969; USA; West Germany's Azur was launched for solar studies.
2006; Russia; Proton rocket launches Arabsat 4B communications satellite into orbit.
Nov9 1934; USA; Carl Sagan was born.
1967; USA; Unmanned Apollo 4 was launched into earth orbit to test Apollo's reentry capsule.
1972; USA; Canada's Anik 1 satellite was launched, part of the world's first domestic geosynchronous satellite system.
Nov10 1968; USSR; Zond 6 was launched on a round trip to the Moon.
1970; USSR; Luna 17 was launched to land on the Moon.
Nov11 1966; USA; Gemini-XII was launched into earth orbit to rendezvous and dock with an Agena vehicle, and to evaluate EVA. Also took first space-based image of a solar eclipse.
Nov12 1965; USSR; Venera 2 was launched to failed mission to Venus.
1980; USA; Voyager 1 flew past Saturn.
1981; USA; Shuttle Columbia was launched and became the first manned spacecraft to fly twice.
Nov13 1831; Scotland; James Clerk Maxwell was born.
1971; USA; Mariner 9 became the first spacecraft to orbit Mars.
Nov14 1969; USA; Apollo 12 launched a crew of 3 to land the second pair of men on the Moon.
1971; USA; Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars.
Nov15 1630; Germany; Johannes Kepler was born.
1738; Germany; Sir William Herschel was born.
Nov16 1965; USSR; Venera 3 was launched to Venus (but was crushed during descent), and became the first spacecraft to impact on Venus.
2001; USA; the Genesis was placed at the Earth-Sun L1 point to monitor and collect solar wind ions.
Nov17 1970; USSR; Luna 17 deployed Lunokhod 1, the first lunar rover (unmanned).
Nov18 1965; USA; Explorer 30 was launched to study solar radiation.
Nov19 1969; USA; Apollo 12 made the second manned lunar landing.
Nov20 1889; USA; Edwin Hubble was born.
Nov21 1783; France; Parisian physicist Francis Pilatre de Rozier became the first human to fly in a Montgolfier balloon.
Nov22 1944; England; Sir Arthur Eddington died.
Nov25 1965; USA; Canada's Alouette 2 satellite was launched to study the Earth's ionosphere.
1976; USSR; Prognoz 5 was launched for solar studies.
Nov26 1885; country?; The first photograph of a meteor was made.
1959; USA; Atlas-Able 4 was launched to, but failed to reach the Moon.
1963; USA; Explorer 18 was launched to monitor solar flares.
1965; France; became the third nation to launch an artificial satellite.
Nov27 1971; USSR; Mars 2 entered Mars orbit, and its probe made the first impact on Mars.
Nov28 1964; USA; Mariner 4 was launched to fly by and return the first close-up images of Mars.
1965; France; France became the third nation to launch a satellite, "A-1" later renamed "Asterix", as a test for the Diamante launch vehicle.
Nov29 1961; USA; Mercury 5 launched Enos, a chimpanzee into Earth orbit.
Nov30 1964; USSR; Zond 2 was launched to Mars (but contact was lost).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov December
MonthDayYear; Country; Event
Dec1 1965; USA; NASA begins the Skylab program.
Dec2 1971; USSR; Mars 3 made the first softlanding on, and returned the first signals from the surface of Mars.
1971; USSR; Russian/Czech Intercosmos 5 was launched from Kapustin Yar for solar studies.
1974; USA; Pioneer 11 flew past Jupiter.
Dec3 1965; USSR; Luna 8 was launched to soft-land (but impacted) on the Moon.
1973; USA; Pioneer 10 made the first flyby of, and returned the first close-up images of Jupiter.
Dec4 1821; Germany; Wilhelm Tempel was born.
1965; USA; Gemini-VII was launched into earth orbit.
1978; USA; Pioneer Venus 1 became the first craft to orbit Venus.
1996; Mars Pathfinder was launched, carrying the rover "Sojourner".
Dec5 1968; USA; HEOS 1 was launched for solar studies.
Dec6 1957; USA; Failed US first attempt to launch a satellite.
1958; USA; Pioneer 3 was launched to the Moon (provided radiation data).
Dec7 1905; Netherlands; Gerard Kuiper was born.
1972; USA; Apollo 17 launched a crew of 3 to land the sixth (and still last) pair of men on the Moon and use the third manned lunar rover.
1995; USA; Galileo enters orbit around Jupiter.
Dec8 1845; Germany; Karl Hencke discovered asteroid 5 Astraea.
Dec10 1950; meterorite falls in St. Louis, striking a car.
1974; USA; West Germany's Helios 1 was launched for solar studies.
Dec11 1972; USA; Apollo 17 landed on the Moon.
Dec12 1961; USA; Battery-operated OSCAR-1 was launched, repeating a message of "HI-HI" for three weeks.
2004; USA; Rover Opportunity lands on Mars.
Dec13 1967; USA; Pioneer 8 was launched for solar studies.
Dec14 1546; Denmark; Tycho Brahe was born.
1962; USA; Mariner 2 made the first controlled flyby of another planet (Venus, at a distance of 34,752km).
Dec15 1960; USA; Atlas-Able 5B was launched to, but failed to reach the Moon.
1965; USA; Gemini-XI was launched to test rendezvous procedures (with Gemini-VII).
1966; France; Audouin Dollfus discovered Saturn's moon "Janus".
1970; USSR; Venera 7 became the first craft to softland on and return signals from the surface of Venus.
Dec16 1826; Italy; Giovanni Battista Donati (spectroscopist and comet hunter) was born. 1965; USA; Pioneer 6 was launched for solar studies.
1972; USA; West Germany's Aeros 1 was launched from Vandenberg AFB for solar UV studies.
1984; USSR; Vega 1 was launched to a flyby of Venus to drop off a probe, then to a flyby of Comet Halley.
Dec17 1903; USA; The Wright brothers made the first flight of a powered, heavier-than-air craft.
1905; Germany; Max Wolf discovered Asteroid 580 Selene.
Dec18 1958; USA; President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Christmas message became the first voice broadcast to utilize a spacecraft for transmission.
Dec19 1960; USA; Unmanned Mercury 1 was launched.
Dec20 1996; USA; Carl Sagan died.
Dec21 1966; USSR; Luna 13 was launched to softland on the Moon.
1968; USA; Apollo 8 was launched to the Moon (the first manned craft to leave Earth's gravity).
1984; USSR; Vega 2 was launched to a flyby of Venus to drop off a probe, then to a flyby of Comet Halley.
Dec22 1975; USSR; Prognoz 4 was launched for solar studies.
Dec23 1672; France; Italian-born Giovanni Cassini discovered Saturn's moon Rhea.
Dec24 1761; France; Jean-Louis Pons (comet hunter) was born.
1905; USA; Joel Metcalf discovered asteroid 581 Tauntonia.
1965; England; fragments from exploded meteor shower the town of Barwell.
1968; USA; Apollo 8 became the first manned craft to orbit the Moon.
Dec25 1642; England; Sir Isaac Newton was born.
1758; country?; The first sighting of a comet's predicted return (Halley's) was recorded.
Dec26 1968; USSR; Cosmos 262 was launched for solar UV and X-ray studies.
Dec27 1571; Germany; Johannes Kepler was born.
Dec28 1882; England; Sir Arthur S. Eddington was born.
1948; USA; The USA announced a study to launch an earth satellite.
Dec30 2000; USA; Probe Cassini flies past Jupiter on way to Saturn.
1985; USA; Stephen Synnott Discovered of Uranus' moon Puck.
Dec31 1719; England; John Flamsteed died.

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