March 28

Events - Science & Technology

1802day.year

Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid ever to be discovered.

German astronomer Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid to be identified, expanding knowledge of the solar system.
On March 28, 1802, Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers observed 2 Pallas, making it the second asteroid discovered after Ceres. Using a refracting telescope in Bremen, Olbers detected this faint moving object against the backdrop of stars. He named it after Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare. The discovery confirmed that the gaps between Mars and Jupiter contained multiple small bodies, leading to the concept of an asteroid belt. Olbers’s work inspired further systematic searches for minor planets, opening a new chapter in observational astronomy. His identification techniques and calculations of Pallas’s orbit set methodological standards for future astronomers. 2 Pallas remains one of the largest asteroids in the belt and a subject of ongoing study. This finding underscored the vast diversity of objects orbiting the Sun beyond the traditional planets.
1802 Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers 2 Pallas asteroid
1910day.year

Henri Fabre becomes the first person to fly a seaplane, the Fabre Hydravion, after taking off from water runway Étang le Barre, near Marseille.

French engineer Henri Fabre achieved the first successful seaplane flight with his Hydravion in 1910.
On March 28, 1910, Henri Fabre piloted the Fabre Hydravion off the waters of Étang de Berre near Marseille, marking the world’s first seaplane flight. The aircraft, fitted with twin floats, ingeniously took off and landed on water without conventional wheels. Fabre’s design demonstrated the potential for naval aviation and opened new possibilities for maritime reconnaissance. Despite initial skepticism, the Hydravion’s success spurred innovation in floatplane and flying boat technologies. His pioneering work influenced both civilian aviation and military applications in subsequent decades. Fabre’s achievement laid the groundwork for amphibious aircraft that would see service in two world wars.
1910 Henri Fabre seaplane Fabre Hydravion
1946day.year

Cold War: The United States Department of State releases the Acheson–Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear power.

In 1946, the Acheson–Lilienthal Report proposed international control of nuclear energy to prevent proliferation during the early Cold War.
In March 1946, political scientist David Lilienthal and Secretary of State Dean Acheson co-authored a report on atomic energy governance. The Acheson–Lilienthal Report proposed establishing an International Atomic Development Authority under United Nations oversight. Its aim was to ensure peaceful use of nuclear power while preventing national weapons programs. The report influenced the subsequent Baruch Plan presented to the UN General Assembly. Cold War tensions and distrust between the US and USSR led to the plan's rejection. Despite its failure, the report laid the groundwork for later nonproliferation treaties and agencies.
1946 Cold War United States Department of State Acheson–Lilienthal Report nuclear power