November 3 in history — On This Day

The Mariner 10 flight spare spacecraft with two long solar panels and instrument booms, photographed against a black background
1973

Mariner 10 Sets Out on a Double Journey to Venus and Mercury

On November 3, 1973, NASA launched Mariner 10, the first spacecraft to use a gravity assist from one planet to reach another. It went on to make the first close observations of Mercury.

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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.

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