1900day.year
The world's fair Exposition Universelle opens in Paris.
The Exposition Universelle opened in Paris on April 14, 1900, showcasing global achievements in art, technology, and industry. Highlights included Art Nouveau pavilions, moving sidewalks, and the Grand Palais.
Held on the banks of the Seine, the fair celebrated the new century with over 50 million visitors attending. Architects and designers embraced Art Nouveau, erecting iconic structures like the Grand Palais and Petit Palais. Innovations such as the moving sidewalk, early escalators, and the Paris Métro entrance designs drew widespread attention. Exhibits ranged from electric lighting demonstrations to sound film experiments, offering a glimpse into future possibilities. International pavilions displayed cultural artifacts, exotic flora, and industrial machinery. The event influenced global design trends and set new standards for world's fairs. Many of its buildings remain landmarks, testifying to the fair's lasting impact on art and engineering.
1900
Exposition Universelle
1958day.year
The Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 falls from orbit after a mission duration of 162 days. This was the first spacecraft to carry a living animal, a female dog named Laika, who likely lived only a few hours.
Sputnik 2, the first spacecraft to carry a living animal, re-enters Earth's atmosphere after a record 162-day mission.
Launched on November 3, 1957, Sputnik 2 became the second artificial satellite to orbit Earth.
It made history by carrying Laika, a stray dog, marking the first life aboard a spacecraft.
The mission aimed to study the effects of space travel on a living organism.
After 162 days in orbit, the satellite's orbit decayed, and it re-entered the atmosphere on April 14, 1958.
No recovery system was in place, and Laika likely perished within hours of launch.
The mission provided valuable biological data that influenced future crewed spaceflights.
1958
Soviet
Sputnik 2
female dog
Laika
1981day.year
STS-1: The first operational Space Shuttle, Columbia completes its first test flight.
NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia completes its maiden orbital test flight (STS-1), marking the first operational mission of the Shuttle program.
STS-1, the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle Columbia, lifted off on April 12, 1981, marking America's return to crewed spaceflight.
Piloted by John Young and Robert Crippen, the orbiter tested critical systems in low Earth orbit.
Columbia completed two orbits on its 36-hour mission, verifying thermal protection and re-entry procedures.
On April 14, 1981, the shuttle safely landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
The successful mission paved the way for routine shuttle flights and expanded human access to space.
It demonstrated the feasibility of a partially reusable spacecraft design.
1981
STS-1
Space Shuttle
Columbia
2003day.year
The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%.
The Human Genome Project achieved 99% completion of the human genetic map with an unprecedented accuracy of 99.99%.
On April 14, 2003, the international Human Genome Project announced that it had sequenced 99% of the human genome with 99.99% accuracy. Launched in 1990, the project unified research teams worldwide to decode the roughly 3.2 billion base pairs of human DNA. This milestone paved the way for breakthroughs in genetics, personalized medicine, and biotechnology. Ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics stirred global discussions, influencing policies on genetic privacy and research funding.
2003
Human Genome Project
human genome
2023day.year
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is launched by the European Space Agency.
The European Space Agency launched the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) on April 14, 2023, to study Jupiter’s largest moons.
On April 14, 2023, ESA’s Ariane 5 rocket roared into space from Kourou, French Guiana, carrying the JUICE spacecraft.
JUICE is tasked with exploring Jupiter’s icy moons—Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto—to assess their habitability.
The mission will perform flybys and ultimately orbit Ganymede in the 2030s, analyzing subsurface oceans and magnetic fields.
A suite of scientific instruments will probe water distribution, surface geology, and potential biosignatures.
Engineers and scientists worldwide collaborated on this flagship mission, marking a milestone in interplanetary exploration.
JUICE’s findings could reshape our understanding of where life might exist beyond Earth.
The mission underscores humanity’s drive to explore the outer Solar System.
2023
Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer
European Space Agency