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200
Gunpowder is Invented
In 200 B. C. the Chinese introduced gunpowder, then called black powder before the invention of guns, the primary ingredient in rockets. -
Period: Jan 1, 1480 to Dec 31, 1489
Leonardo Da Vinci Invents The Ornithopter
Throughout the 1480s, Da Vinci had over 100 drawings illustrating his theories on flight. The Ornithopter was never built, but the modern-day helicopter is based on it. -
Period: to
Newton's Laws are Created
Newton creates and writes his laws that explain the forces that affect a rocket. -
First Hot Air Balloon Flight
Two French brothers, Joseph Michel and Jacques Etienne Montgolfier, were inventors of the first hot air balloon. The passengers on the first manned flight were Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Laurent. -
Period: to
British Shoot Rockets against Fort McHenry
The British use congreve rockets to open fire at the Americans in Fort McHenry. This inspires the verse "the rocket's red glare" in 'The Star Spangled Banner." -
America's 1st Use of Military Rockets
America uses military rockets for the first time in the Mexican-American War during the Siege of Veracruz. -
Rockets Used in the Civil War
Though use of war rockets had decreased, Confederate forces used old rockets to fire at the Union, though some were faulty. -
First Man in Space
Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space, making a 108 minute orbital flight in his Vostok 1 spacecraft. -
First American in Space
Alan Shepard became the first American in space, only one month after Yuri Gagarin. -
First Moon Landing
Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon which made astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr the first men on the moon. -
First Space Shuttle
The launch of the STS-1 was the first time a new space shuttle was launched on it's maiden voyage with a crew aboard. The astronauts aboard were John Young and Robert Crippen. They launched in Columbia exactly 20 years after Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. -
The Challenger Disaster
On this day, the first in Rocket History happend. The Challenger had a bad rubber sealent due to cold weather, which caused a leak in fuel which led to it's explosion 73 seconds after the launch. The entire crew died. This caused the space shuttle program to suspend for modifucations until 1988. -
Period: to
1st Crew to Go to ISS
The first long-term crew to go up to the ISS stayed from November 2 of 2000 to March 18 of 2001. -
Nasa's Spaceshuttle Program is Shut Down
The government shuts down Nasa's spaceshuttle program due to budget cuts. -
Curiosity is Launched
The rover, Curiosity is launched to allow scientists to observe and better understand Mars and it's background.
