This week in history
19 anniversaries falling this week, from 1542 to 2022. Five minutes each, with the sources left in plain sight.
1954American History
USS Nautilus Joins the Navy
On September 30, 1954, USS Nautilus entered service as the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, opening a new chapter in naval history.
American HistoryHoover Dam Is DedicatedOn September 30, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the immense dam rising above the Colorado River—a landmark of American engineering built during the Great Depression.
American HistoryThe First Stone of Washington National CathedralOn September 29, 1907, the foundation stone of Washington National Cathedral was laid. The final stone would be placed exactly 83 years later.
More from this week
- 2022NASA’s DART Mission: The Day Humanity Changed an Asteroid’s OrbitSpace Exploration · September 26On September 26, 2022, NASA deliberately crashed the DART spacecraft into Dimorphos. The impact tested whether a spacecraft could change an asteroid’s motion.
- 2008Falcon 1: The Launch That Reached OrbitSpace Exploration · September 28On September 28, 2008, SpaceX's Falcon 1 reached Earth orbit on its fourth attempt. It became the first privately developed, liquid-fueled rocket to do so.
- 1996Shannon Lucid Returns After 188 Days in SpaceSpace Exploration · September 26On September 26, 1996, astronaut Shannon Lucid returned to Earth aboard Atlantis after spending 188 days in space, most of them aboard the Mir station.
- 1992Mars Observer: The Mission That Went Silent Before MarsSpace Exploration · September 25On September 25, 1992, NASA launched Mars Observer to study the Red Planet. Nearly 11 months later, contact was lost just before the spacecraft could enter Mars orbit.
- 1991Discovery Returns from an Atmospheric Research MissionSpace Exploration · September 26On September 26, 1991, space shuttle Discovery returned to Kennedy Space Center after the STS-48 mission.
- 1991Eight People Entered Biosphere 2Science · September 26On September 26, 1991, eight participants began a two-year experiment inside the enclosed Biosphere 2 facility in Arizona.
- 1983The Nuclear Attack That Never HappenedHistory · September 26On September 26, 1983, a Soviet early-warning system reported an apparent U.S. missile launch. Duty officer Stanislav Petrov judged the alert to be false. No missiles had been launched.
- 1981The Ferret Thought Lost to the WildNature · September 26In September 1981, the discovery of black-footed ferrets near Meeteetse, Wyoming, gave conservationists a chance to help a species thought to have disappeared from the wild.
- 1981The Boeing 767 Takes Flight for the First TimeAviation · September 26On September 26, 1981, the Boeing 767-200 made its first flight. The twin-engine widebody would later become an important aircraft for long-distance travel.
- 1973Skylab 3: The 59-Day Journey That Changed SpaceflightSpace Exploration · September 25On September 25, 1973, the Skylab 3 crew returned to Earth after 59 days and 11 hours in space.
- 1960The Presidential Debate That Entered America’s Living RoomsPolitics · September 26On September 26, 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon took part in the first televised debate between U.S. presidential candidates.
- 1941SS Patrick Henry: The First Liberty ShipHistory · September 27On September 27, 1941, SS Patrick Henry was launched in Baltimore. It was the first of the Liberty ships that would carry vital supplies during World War II.
- 1924The First Flight Around the World Comes HomeAviation · September 28On September 28, 1924, two U.S. Army aircraft landed in Seattle, completing the first aerial circumnavigation of the world after a journey lasting nearly six months.
- 1781The Siege of Yorktown BeginsAmerican History · September 28On September 28, 1781, American and French forces advanced on Yorktown and began surrounding the British army. The campaign would lead to one of the most consequential victories of the American Revolution.
- 1777When British Troops Occupied PhiladelphiaHistory · September 26On September 26, 1777, British troops entered Philadelphia during the American Revolutionary War.
- 1542When Cabrillo's Ships Entered San Diego BayHistory · September 28On September 28, 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo's expedition entered the bay now known as San Diego Bay. The area was already the homeland of the Kumeyaay people.
