October 7 in history — On This Day

1958

Before Mercury Had a Name: NASA’s Human Spaceflight Decision

On October 7, 1958, NASA approved the project that became Mercury. Its goals joined orbital flight, research on human performance and safe recovery in one engineering program.

Read the story →

This Week in History

Crime & Justice

View all →

Medicine & Health

View all →

Nature & Disasters

View all →

Exploration

View all →

Film & TV

View all →

The Story Behind the Photo

Chicago After the Fire: From Burned Blocks to a New Skyline

A photograph taken after the 1871 fire can make Chicago look as though its future had been decided by a wall of flame. A view from around 1905 tells a different story: tall offices, busy transport routes and commercial streets crowded again.

Explore the frame →

Collections

Explore by Topic

My Birthday in History

See what happened on your date.

Watch in 30 Seconds

Big moments, short videos.

Browse videos →

Explore the Archive

Surprise me