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"30 Years of the Space Shuttle"

On July 14, 1965, the American space probe Mariner 4 flew by Mars, sending back photographs of the planet.

Photo #7. Max Leslie ditching. Because LCDR Leslie's SDB was out of fuel the aircraft floated. Leslie and his gunner walked out to the end of the wing and stepped into the whaleboat sent to rescue them. THEY DIDN'T EVEN GET THEIR FEET WET.

The Grahame-White Factory at Hendon is a virtual shrine to early aviation. Even setting aside the prominent rôle its founder, Claude Grahame-White, had in the establishment of aviation in the U.K., and the significance of the early factory buildings themselves (Grade II* Listed), the Royal Air Force Museum, London, has chosen to display some superb early aircraft (plus some replicas) in this wonderful setting.

On Oct. 21, 1879, Thomas Edison invented a workable electric light at his laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J.

"Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman was always being told what she could and couldn't do. In an era when Jim Crow laws and segregation were a way of life, it was not easy to survive. Bessie didn't let that stop her. Although she was only 11 when the Wright Brothers took their historic flight, she vowed to become the first African-American female pilot. Her sturdy faith and determination helped her overcome obstacles of poverty, racism, and gender discrimination."