During a May 29, 1919 solar eclipse, astronomers saw the sun bend starlight, proving Einstein's general relativity and catapulting him to rock star fame.
May 25, 1961
The 35th U.S. president John F. Kennedy delivered a stirring speech before a joint session of Congress. In it, he declared his intention to focus U.S. efforts on landing humans on the moon within a decade. His words ignited the work of a decade and ultimately achieved the dream of a moon landing, via the Apollo missions. Among other things, he said:
I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space. None will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.
Lia De La Cruz
Lia De La Cruz is a Physics graduate and Editorial Assistant of EarthSky, contributing also as a field correspondent with a long-time passion for space exploration that began early in her college career. She started her blog SkyFeed in 2018, which earned a mention in Feedspot’s “Top 50 Space Blogs to Follow, has been published in Smore Magazine, and led her to launch a communications career in tandem with her planetary passion. She currently resides in Southern California with her husband and small pug pup.