July 13

After pioneering the east-west transatlantic voyage, the R34 set off on its return flight to England. The crew navigated challenging weather and relied on wireless telegraphy for navigation updates. Covering over 8,000 kilometers, the mission demonstrated the potential of lighter-than-air travel. The airship’s success captured global attention and advanced aviation technology. Public enthusiasm for airships soared as possibilities for passenger and mail transport emerged. The R34’s achievement marked a milestone in the history of flight and transoceanic exploration.

Proposed by John McCarthy and organized at Dartmouth College, the workshop brought together leading researchers including Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon. Held over the summer of 1956, the gathering defined key problems and research directions for the nascent field of AI. Participants developed foundational ideas about machine learning, symbolic reasoning, and computational models of intelligence. The conference coined the term artificial intelligence and inspired successive research programs across universities and laboratories. Although initial progress was modest, the workshop marked the official birth of AI and set the agenda for decades of innovation in computing and cognitive science.

On July 13, 1995, NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery launched from Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-70. The primary objective was to deploy the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-7) into geostationary orbit. TDRS satellites form a communication network that supports the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, and other missions. STS-70 marked the final shuttle flight with a seven-member crew, including pilots and mission specialists. The successful deployment enhanced NASA’s space communication capabilities and paved the way for future orbital missions.