U.S. NASA’s Mariner 9 becomes the first articial satellite of Mars
Mariner 9 was launched successfully on May 30, 1971, and became the first artificial satellite of Mars when it arrived and went into orbit.
United States
The first Earth Day is celebrated
Earth Day was the brainchild of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, a staunch environmentalist who hoped to provide unity to the grassroots environmental movement and increase ecological awareness.
ARPANET is first deployed via UCLA, SRI, UCSB, and The University of Utah
ARPANET was an early packet-switching network and the first network to implement the protocol suite TCP/IP. Both technologies became the technical foundation of the Internet.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the moon
After the astronauts returned safely to Earth, another five NASA crewed lunar missions followed in their footsteps. The last, Apollo 17, landed on December 14 1972.
James T. Russell invents precursor to laser discs
American inventor James T. Russell has been credited with inventing the first system to record digital information on an optical transparent foil that is lit from behind by a high-power halogen lamp.
Nicholas Clinch of the United States becomes the first to summit Vinson Massif
Vinson Massif is a large mountain massif and the highest peak in Antarctica.
Robert C. Weaver becomes first Black cabinet member in the U.S.
As HUD’s senior administrator, Weaver expanded affordable housing programs and, in 1968, advocated for the passage of the Fair Housing Act,
The U.S. formally passes the Higher Education Act into law, making student loans widely available for the first time
Federal student loans were first offered in the U.S. in 1958 under the National Defense Education Act. However, they were only available to select categories of students, such as those studying engineering, science, or education. Low-income student loans only became more broadly available in the 1960s under the Higher Education Act of 1965, which also increased federal money given to universities, created scholarships, and established a National Teachers Corps.
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Act is considered to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted in the country.
The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show
It is estimated that 73 million Americans were watching that night as the Beatles made their live U.S. television debut.