February 01, 2008

50 years ago today

Selected highlights from around the Web:On the night of January 31, 1958 (February 1, 1958 at 03:48 UTC), Explorer 1 was launched into orbit atop a Jupiter-C rocket designated Juno I. The successful launch ... marked the USA's official entry in the space race.

The union of Syria and Egypt in the United Arab Republic (UAR) was announced on February 1, 1958, and later ratified by a plebiscite in each country.

Paul McCartney introduces George Harrison to the Quarrymen at a basement teen club called the Morgue. George joins the group.

The first pilot episode 1B of Sea Hunt, “Mark of the Octopus,” aired February 1, 1958. It was in color and aired out of the production sequence.

Jerry Lee Lewis hits Number One with “Breathless.”
Comment:  On this day it's fair to say I ushered in America's Space Age. In other words, I'm the living embodiment of our "reach for the stars." <g>

4 comments:

writerfella said...

Writerfella here --
Hey, how did Werner von Braun get left out of the mix? Or Robert H. Goddard? Or even Robert Heinlein? Or Leo Zilard? Or Alexander Zasyadkoi, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Sergei P. Korolev, or Valentin Glushko. Sounds like there was a bit more than a one-party celebration!
Oops...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'

Rob said...

They weren't born on the day in question, so they aren't synonymous with America's Space Age.

writerfella said...

Writerfella here --
Ah, but Werner von Braun, along with the others named, were progenitors WHO GAVE BIRTH TO AMERICA'S SPACE AGE! And writerfella very much is assured that Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Jerry Lee Lewis weren't born on such a day, either. Even writerfella was just past 17 and 1/2 on that particular day...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'

Rob said...

I didn't say anyone was born on Feb. 1, 1958. I listed things that happened that day.

Werner von Braun, Robert H. Goddard, et al. developed the Space Age. John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, et al. implemented it. But their lives didn't coincide with the Space Age. They didn't embody it.