A Brief History On August 1, 1977, former USAF and CIA pilot, Francis Gary Powers, died when his news helicopter crashed in Encino, California. Powers became famous worldwide when his U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, causing a scandal and sensation during the Cold War. Other pilots have achieved high levels of fame, and today we ask, “Which pilot is the most famous?” Digging Deeper Some nominees include: Orville Wright, the first powered flight in 1903. Manfred von Richthofen, aka, The Red Baron, leading World War I (WWI) fighter Ace, serving in the Luftstreitkräfte…
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A Brief History On July 28, 1854, the USS Constellation was commissioned, a sloop-of-war, the last sail-only warship for the US Navy. The second US Navy ship of the name, the first was built in 1797 and was scrapped in 1853. Digging Deeper While seeking to strengthen the US Navy, economics mattered and the Navy sought to save money by using available stocks of Oak and to eschew the use of an expensive steam engine. Constellation would be economical to build and to operate. With a length of 191 feet and a beam of 43 feet, Constellation displaced 1400 tons,…
A Brief History On July 25, 1984, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya exited her Salyut 7 space capsule while in orbit, thus becoming the first woman to ever engage in an EVA, or “extravehicular activity” in space. Most of us usually call such activity a “spacewalk.” Digging Deeper The US has had 56 women in space, and the world has now sent into space about 75 ladies. The Soviets were the real pioneers with women in space with Valentina Tereshkova becoming the first woman space traveler in 1963. The Soviets did not send another woman into orbit until 1982, with the…
A Brief History On July 22, 1962, the US space agency, NASA, launched Mariner 1, the first in a series of probes designed to visit other planets in our solar system. After several delays in launching the spacecraft, the rocket lifted off and drifted off course, necessitating an “abort” procedure that resulted in blowing up the ill-fated spacecraft. Digging Deeper The Mariner program consisted of 10 un-manned spacecraft to be launched into space to visit other planets and gather information for NASA scientists. Venus, Mars, and Mercury were flown past by Mariner drones, the first man-made craft to fly by…
A Brief History On July 20, 1997, the famous American warship, the USS Constitution, better known as “Old Ironsides,” celebrated 200 years of service by embarking on a cruise under her own sails for the first time in 116 years! Digging Deeper The now restored heavy frigate was launched in 1797 to serve the fledgling US Navy, enforcing freedom with her armament of 30 24 pounder cannons and 20 32 pounder cannons. With a crew of 450, the wooden sailing ship counted 30 “boys” among her crew. Highly successful in battle during the War of 1812, Old Ironsides earned her…
