On 9 January 1793, the first hot air balloon flight in North America was launched from the Washington Prison Yard in Philadelphia. Piloted by Jean Pierre Blanchard, this flight was watched by the USA President George Washington. Jean Pierre Blanchard was also the first hot air balloonist in England, Germany, Belgium and Poland, as well…
8 January…
Today in 1816, Sophie Gemain wins the Paris Academy of Sciences’ Grand Prize for her paper on elasticity. She is the first woman to do so. Definition of elasticity: After being stretched or compressed, the object or material will return to its original shape, i.e. an elastic band. Sophie submitted her first paper on elasticity…
7 January…
Today in 1610, Galileo Galilei discovers three of Jupiter’s four largest moons – Io, Europa & Ganymede. Initially thinking that they were stars, it would take Galileo a few weeks of observation to conclude that they were actually orbiting Jupiter. The forth moon, Callisto, was discovered on 13 January. It should be noted however, that…
6 January…
In 1540, King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves. This will be his forth wife. King Henry VIII was 48 years old when he chose to married the 24 year old Anne of Cleves, based on her portrait. “I like her not! I like her not!” – King Henry VIII on his future…
5 January…
On this day in 1953, the first performance of Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett was performed in a small theatre in Paris. The English version of the play was performed two years later in London 1955. It has since become the most important and best known plays of the 20th and 21st century. I…
4 January…
On this day in 1643, Sir Isaac Newton was born. A mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author. He is most famous for the discovery of gravity by the falling of an apple. “What we know is a drop, what we don’t know is an ocean” – Sir Isaac Newton * * * * * *…
3 January…
Today, in 1496, Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests his flying machine (also known as the Ornithopter). (Definition: an ornithopter is an aircraft that flies by the flapping of its wings) Dreaming and inspired by the winged structures of animals, such as birds and bats, Leonardo da Vinci designed and created aircraft structures. This particular craft…
2 January…
On this day in 1959, the Soviet Union launches Mechta (otherwise known as Luna 1), in the direction of the moon. Luna 1 is the first object to escape Earth’s gravity. Whilst Luna 1 was intended to crash-land into the moon, in order to gather information from the surface, due to a faulty rocket the…
1 January….Bonus
Since today is a special day, I thought I would add a bonus fact about the 1 January! Did you know that the 1 January wasn’t the first day of the New Year in England until 1752. From the 12th century until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752, England’s New Year day was…
1 January…
Samuel Pepys began his diary. Born 23 February 1633, Samuel Pepys began his diary on this day in 1660 and would continue to record his daily life for 10 more years. His observations of 17th century England are a first hand account of many historically events; including the plague of 1665 and, as we all…
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