April 11

Launched on April 11, 1908, SMS Blücher represented the pinnacle of armored cruiser design for Germany’s Kaiserliche Marine. Her construction responded to intelligence suggesting British Invincible-class ships of similar size, but her inferior speed revealed a critical misjudgment. Blücher measured over 160 meters in length and displaced nearly 14,000 tons, armed with heavy guns intended for long-range engagements. Despite her impressive armor protection, her slower top speed limited her tactical effectiveness in the fast-evolving naval strategies of the early 20th century. She later saw action at the Battle of Dogger Bank in World War I, where she was sunk by British battlecruisers. The ship’s fate underscored the rapid technological advancements that rendered armored cruisers obsolete. Blücher’s launch marked both an achievement in naval engineering and a lesson in the perils of arms competition.

Launched on April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 was the third mission intended to land on the Moon and the seventh crewed flight in NASA’s Apollo program. Commanded by Jim Lovell with Jack Swigert and Fred Haise as crew, the mission lifted off aboard a Saturn V rocket. Approximately 56 hours into the flight, an oxygen tank explosion crippled the service module and aborted the lunar landing. The crew and ground teams overcame critical technical challenges to safely return the spacecraft to Earth. The mission became renowned for the phrase “Houston, we’ve had a problem” and highlighted NASA’s problem-solving expertise under life-and-death pressure.

The Apple I, created in 1976 by Steve Wozniak and sold by Steve Jobs’s Apple Computer, was a pioneering single-board microcomputer. Unlike kits of the era, the Apple I came with a fully assembled circuit board requiring only a keyboard and display to operate. Priced at $666.66, it attracted hobbyists and small businesses eager for an affordable computing solution. Around 200 units were produced and sold, marking the beginning of Apple’s emergence in the personal computing industry. The Apple I’s success set the stage for the company’s future innovations and lasting impact on technology.

The announcement came amid growing tensions with Western nations over Iran’s nuclear program. President Ahmadinejad proclaimed that Iran had mastered the enrichment process using centrifuge technology. Western governments and the IAEA demanded clarification on the purity and intended use of the enriched uranium. Critics feared that the development could accelerate Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. Supporters within Iran hailed it as a triumph of national sovereignty and scientific progress. The declaration prompted new UN Security Council discussions on sanctions. It marked a turning point in the standoff that continues to shape Middle Eastern geopolitics.