The American Viking 1 lander successfully lands on Mars.

The Viking 1 lander was part of NASA’s Viking program, which was the first U.S. mission to land a spacecraft safely on Mars and return images of the surface. Launched on August 20, 1975, Viking 1 consisted of an orbiter and a lander. It successfully landed on Mars on July 20, 1976, in the region known as Chryse Planitia.

The primary objectives of the Viking 1 lander included:

Search for Life: Conduct biological experiments to detect signs of life in Martian soil.
Study Martian Surface: Analyze the composition of the Martian surface and atmosphere.
Weather Monitoring: Collect data on Martian weather patterns and atmospheric properties.
Photographic Survey: Capture high-resolution images of the Martian surface to provide detailed information about the planet’s geography and potential landing sites for future missions.

The Viking 1 lander conducted several experiments and transmitted a wealth of data back to Earth, greatly enhancing our understanding of Mars. It continued to operate for over six years, far exceeding its expected mission lifespan, until communication was lost on November 13, 1982.

The Ford Motor Company ships its first automobile.

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker and one of the world’s largest and most influential automobile manufacturers. Founded by Henry Ford on June 16, 1903, it revolutionized the automotive industry by introducing mass production techniques that significantly lowered the cost of manufacturing and made cars affordable to the average consumer. Here’s an overview of the company’s history:

Early Years: The company was established in Dearborn, Michigan, by Henry Ford and a group of investors. Henry Ford had already gained some fame in the automotive world through his development of the Quadricycle in 1896 and his work at the Detroit Automobile Company and the Henry Ford Company, which he later left due to creative differences.

Model A and Model T: The Ford Motor Company’s first mass-produced car was the Model A, which was released in 1903. However, it was the Model T that truly made the company famous. Introduced on October 1, 1908, the Model T, also known as the “Tin Lizzie,” was the first affordable automobile, and its production techniques became the cornerstone of modern industrial mass production.

Assembly Line Innovation: Henry Ford and his team revolutionized the manufacturing process by implementing the moving assembly line in 1913. This innovation dramatically reduced the time and effort required to assemble a car, making it possible to produce vehicles much more efficiently. As a result, the production time for a single Model T decreased from around 12 hours to just 93 minutes.

Expansion and Global Reach: Throughout the early 20th century, the Ford Motor Company continued to expand its operations and increase its market share. The company opened several plants in the United States and established assembly plants in other countries, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia, making it one of the first global automakers.

Decline of the Model T: While the Model T dominated the automotive market for over a decade, it eventually faced stiff competition from other manufacturers offering more modern and versatile vehicles. In 1927, after selling over 15 million units, Ford ceased production of the Model T.

Introduction of the Model A: In 1927, Ford replaced the Model T with the more stylish and advanced Model A, which featured many technological improvements. Although it didn’t achieve the same level of success as the Model T, it still sold well and helped Ford remain a major player in the automotive industry.

World War II and Post-War Expansion: During World War II, Ford shifted its production to support the war effort, manufacturing various military vehicles, airplanes, and equipment. After the war, Ford experienced significant growth and expanded its product line to include trucks and commercial vehicles.

Mustang and Muscle Cars: In the 1960s, Ford introduced the iconic Ford Mustang, which became an instant hit and defined the “pony car” segment. Additionally, Ford gained recognition for its powerful and high-performance muscle cars like the Ford Thunderbird and the Ford GT40, which achieved success in motorsports, including winning the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race multiple times.

Challenges and Restructuring: Ford faced financial challenges in the late 20th and early 21st centuries due to increased competition, changing consumer preferences, and economic downturns. In 2006, Ford implemented a major restructuring plan to address these issues and focus on producing more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles.

Recent Developments: Ford has continued to innovate and adapt to the changing automotive landscape. The company has introduced electric and hybrid vehicles, like the Ford Focus Electric and the Ford Fusion Hybrid, as part of its commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, storms the Fortress of Antonia north of the Temple Mount. The Roman army is drawn into street fights with the Zealots.

The Polaris missile is successfully launched from a submarine, the USS George Washington, for the first time.

Apollo program: Apollo 11’s crew successfully makes the first manned landing on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the Moon six and a half hours later.

Viking 1 lands successfully lands on Mars.

Viking 1 was the first American spacecraft to touch the surface of Mars, and the first spacecraft ever to remain there for the long term. It followed a series of short-lived Soviet probes that either landed or crashed into the surface in the decade before.

Its successful landing on July 20, 1976, provided a window into climatic conditions on the red planet. From Viking 1’s perch on Chryse Planitia, the lander spent six years beaming pictures, information and even life experiments back to Earth. Its life results are still being debated today.

An ambitious project, scaled down

NASA originally planned to head to Mars with an ambitious program called Voyager not to be confused with the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes that eventually soared to the outer edges of the solar system.

The agency proposed to use the Saturn V rocket — once used to hoist astronauts to the moon – to send Voyager to Mars. An orbiter would circle above as a lander touched the surface, where it would remain on the surface for at least a Martian year to observe the changing seasons. Project costs were estimated to be as high as $2 billion in 1970s dollars.

“I guess our eyes were too big for the budget there,” said Edgar Cortright in a 1998 NASA oral history. He held a series of senior human spaceflight positions at NASA in the 1960s before becoming director of the Langley Research Center between 1968 and 1975.

“There was a money crunch at the time,” he added. “We were lucky to get the money to do Viking, and that was a struggle.”

The mission concept was scaled back to two orbiters and two landers, launching on smaller rockets and designed to stay on Mars for 90 days. NASA estimates the cost was about $1 billion for the entire Viking project.

Viking 1 launch and landing

Viking 1’s Titan III-E rocket roared to life Aug. 20, 1975, as the spacecraft set forth on its nearly 500-million-mile journey to Mars. Fully fueled, the orbiter-lander duo weighed about 7,800 pounds. Viking 1’s twin, Viking 2, went into space on Sept. 9, 1975.

Viking 1’s lander was supposed to touch down on Mars on July 4. But as the spacecraft drew closer to Mars and began taking pictures of the landing site, the Viking 1 team worried about the spacecraft’s chances of making it safely to the surface.

The prime landing site at Chryse was based on looking at Mariner 9 pictures, which were taken in lower resolution. Viking 1’s view of the site showed the opposite of what planners wanted: “a deeply incised river bed,” according to On Mars, a NASA History Office publication detailing the early Mars missions.

Complicating matters was the fact that the landing date of July 4, 1976, happened to coincide with the bicentennial celebrations of the United States’ founding. Viking 1 was supposed to be a part of that, but of course, safety needed to be the primary consideration.

Mission planners voted to extend Viking 1’s landing date until a more suitable landing site could be found. They debated between a few sites and voted on July 12 for a location in Chryse Planitia, about 365 miles  west of where the lander was supposed to go.

Viking 1’s orbit was adjusted on July 16, and the spacecraft touched down safely on July 20, 1976. On that day, only seven years before, man stood on the moon for the first time.

Six years of science observations

Each Viking mission was only supposed to last 90 days after landing, but the landers and orbiters actually lasted for years. Their images and data on Mars would define our view of the planet for the next couple of decades.

From orbit, the Vikings provided a window into Mars’ tumultuous past. They took pictures of volcanoes and also imaged ancient channels where floods may have roared in ancient history. The cameras peered closer at the vast Valles Marineris, a 2,500-mile rift across Mars’ equator, taking snapshots of landslide sites and craters.

As for the Viking 1 lander, it sent back its first image of the surface just moments after landing, and took thousands more for scientists to process over its lifetime. Besides a seismometer experiment that refused to deploy properly, and early problems with a sampler pin, the experiments on board the lander remained healthy through its last day of transmissions on Nov. 13, 1982.

Viking 1’s results showed scientists a few surprises. There were a lot of rock types at its landing site, indicating that they probably had different origins. Day-to-day weather conditions on Mars were usually consistent, although there were seasonal variations. Winds were higher speed during the day and tended to die down at night. The lander detected magnetic particles in the soil, although scientists could not fully describe what the soil was made up of.

These results were important as they hinted at what a human would experience when walking upon the Red Planet. Dust storms, radiation and weather conditions are all things that will need to be considered when humans choose to make the journey to Mars.

NASA’s Viking probes were the first ever to successfully set footpad on Mars in a powered landing. The Viking 1 lander set down in July 1976 and didn’t go silent until November 1982. Viking 2 landed in September 1976 and kept working until April 1980. Credit: NASA

Denmark leaves the League of Nations.

The Chinese Communist Party starts a persecution campaign against Falun Gong.

Falun Gong is banned in China.