SciTech Spotlight

Jay Miner, who designed critical microchips for Atari, helped launch the videogame industry and was the "father" of the Amiga computer; was born on this day in 1932.

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Today is the birthday of the man who took the first walk in space. But Aleksei Leonov, born in 1934, almost didn't make it back into the capsule!

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He made it "sew" simple to create home made clothes when he invented the tissue paper pattern. So let's take a moment to remember Ebenezer Butterick who was born on this day in 1826.

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Is it hot in here or is it just because I'm thinking about the inventor of the blowtorch, Carl Rickard Nyberg, who was born on this day in 1858?

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The Golden Gate Bridge was opened to pedestrians on this day in 1937. The next day vehicles were allowed to use the bridge. Meticulous engineer Charles Alton Ellis calculated all the details necessary for the bridge to be built as designed. Sadly, he never saw the completed bridge in person.

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Sally Ride, the first American woman in space was born on this day in 1951. She continues to inspire young women to take up careers in math and science through her Sally Ride Science program.

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Leonardo da Vinci dreamed it up first, but the world had to wait more than four centuries until Igor Sikorsky made the helicopter a practical reality. Today marks the 118th anniversary of his birth.

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Say ahhhhhhhhhh! Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit was born on this day in 1686.

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Stop and take a moment to remember that on this day in 1960 Georges Claude, the inventor of the neon light, passed away. He left the world more colorful than it was when he entered it. And he proved he was no flash in the pan.

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As you sit in the comfort of your favorite lounger say a silent thank you to Henry Kennedy, a cabinetmaker and upholsterer of Philadelphia, Pa., who was issued the first U.S. patent for a reclining chair on this day in 1841.

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On this day in 1860 Wilhelm Einthoven, Nobel laureate and inventor of the electrocardiograph machine was born

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On this day in 1913 William Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, was born. He and his partner David Packard founded their company in 1939 with $538( $7442 adjusted for inflation). Their first "manufacturing plant" was a garage. In 2006 HP had over 91 billion dollars in revenue.

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On this day in 1914, Nobel prize winning molecular biologist Max Perutz was born.

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On this day in 1969 Apollo 10 was launched.

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Alan Kay, known for his early pioneering work on object-oriented programming and the graphical user interface, was born on this day in 1940.

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On this day in 1866, Charles Hires invented root beer.

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On this day in 1859 Pierre Curie, Nobel laureate, was born.

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On this day in 1973 Skylab, America's first space station, was launched.

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On this day in 1958 Velcro was officially registered as a trademark.

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On this day in 1820 Florence Nightingale was born.

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On this day in 1946 Robert Jarvik, creator of the first successful artificial heart, was born.

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On this day in 1900 noted astronomer Cecilia Payne was born.

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On this day in 1927 Nobel recipient Manfred Eigen, was born.

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On this day in 1886, the first sales were made of an intruiging and unique libation invented by a pharmacist named John Stith Pemberton. It's name? Coca-Cola.

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On this day in 1992 the first flight of space shuttle Endeavour(STS-49) took place.

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On this day in 1929 Paul Lauterbur was born. In 2003 he shared the Nobel prize with Peter Mansfield for his work which made the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) possible.

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On this day in 1961 Alan Shepard became the first American launched into space. His sub-orbital flight lasted 15 minutes.

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On this day in 1989, the Magellan probe was launched on a voyage of discovery to the planet Venus.

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Today marks the passing of one of the original seven Mercury astronauts and the only one who flew on Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, Wally Schirra.

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On this day:

Elijah McCoy, inventor and holder of over 50 patents was born in 1844.

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On this day in 1839 Count (Louis-Marie-) Hilaire Bernigaud Chardonnet the inventor of rayon was born.