On This Day, November 12 1980

On this day, November 12 1980, Voyager 1 flies near Saturn. By doing this, Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to do so. Humanity was always curious about the stars, astronomy is one of the world’s oldest scientific fields. In recent years, advances have been made that accelerate our progress in knowing, and understanding, our universe. Saturn was one planet that always fascinated astronomers. Its hypnotizing rings and many moons make it a very interesting subject. So when astronomers finally got to see Saturn up close, they were astounded by what they found. They found that Saturn did not just have six rings, as previously thought, but in fact, Saturn had hundreds of rings that all intertwined and laced themselves together in a way that made it look like only six rings to the untrained eye. Astronomers also received hi-res images, allowing astronomers to view the striking beauty of its rings in high definition. Voyager 1 did not stop there however, Voyager 1 continued to float towards the edge of our solar system all while transmitting data back to Earth. In fact, Voyager 1 is still transmitting data to this day, scientists guess that Voyager 1 will continue to transmit until 2020, that’s when the power source will cut out. However, Voyager 1 still wont be done, the derelict husk of the probe will continue to drift further and further into the heliopause. Voyager 1 and its sister craft, Voyager 2, both came outfitted with a gold disk containing information about earth and humanity, so that maybe, just maybe, some other alien race will find it, and then come and find us.

This even affected people back then because it showed everyone how beautiful things are outside of our tiny blue spec of life. It showed everyone how there is a whole universe out there, ready to be explored, with more beautiful things like this just waiting to be found. Of course, this also meant that astronomers could now receive and interpret data from Saturn and learn more about the Jovian planet. Things such as, what its atmosphere is composed of, what its rings are made of, how its rings are made, and Saturn’s gravity in itself.

This event still holds its importance today in many ways. Voyager 1 still continues to transmit data back to us as it drifts further and further out of our solar system. It doesn’t have much to transmit, however, out there where Voyager 1 is, there is nothing. No start, no planets, absolute void. Of course this data can be used to observe the effects of nothingness on the craft. On the other end, much of what is known about Saturn is based off of Voyager 1’s data, and Saturn continues to be studied today.

11 6 15 On this day in history

On this day, November 6 1860, Abraham Lincoln is elected the 16th president of the United States. Lincoln would go on to lead the country in one of its darkest times, the Civil War. Lincoln tried his hardest to keep the states united before the war and tried to reunite them during the war. He also worked to abolish slavery.

Back in 1860 this affected the people because Lincoln promised a lot in his presidency. He promised to get rid of slavery while keeping the union united. Lincoln is often hailed as one of the greatest American presidents, for both leading the union during the war and beating the Confederacy. His honesty and bravery were praised back then and still are praised today.

Today, Lincoln's legacy is celebrated through many monuments and historic places throughout the U.S. The Lincoln memorial is one of his most famous monuments. Located in Washington D.C. this monument gives insight into the great things that he did during his presidency and gives more info about him, his life, his presidency, his accomplishments, and his victories. If he had not existed, or had not been elected president, we may not have won the Civil War or gotten rid of slavery.

On This Day: October 28, 1965

On October 28^th 1965, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is completed. This arch was built to commemorate the Louisiana Purchase and commemorate the rapid exploration and westward expansion that preceded it. The architect Eero Saarinen designed the arch. The arch also commemorates the role of St. Louis as a trading post and outpost during the days of the old frontier and also commemorates the Louis and Clark expedition along with St. Louis’ role in the War Of 1812.

This event gave the people of that time something to look upon and wonder, “Why is that there?” and begin to dig into the history surrounding it. Not only this but the more practical aspect of the arch is the beautiful views from the top that the monument is known for. The people of this time flocked to the arch to be one of the first to see the view from the top and to dig into the history of the monument and St. Louis itself. These people now had a trademark monument for their city that represented and signified its proud history in the past.

The event is still significant today. Tourists still crowd the arch to get views from the top as well as to learn the history of the city. The story of the old frontier and westward expansion is still commonly taught in most schools today making the backstory all the more relevant. The role of St. Louis is talked about and covered as well.